Holidaymakers travelling to the EU are being warned not to get caught out by the 'passport 10-year rule'. Since the UK left the EU, travellers to all countries within the bloc—including Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein and Switzerland, but not Ireland—must have a passport issued less than 10 years before their departure date. It must also be valid for three months after their planned return date.
Previously, UK travellers could carry up to nine months from an old passport over to a new one. However, post-Brexit, EU countries will not accept passports issued more than 10 years ago. Up to 32 million people applied for passports before the new rules, but it is unknown how many have been affected.
One affected traveller is Nathan Barnes, a 31-year-old paramedic from Norwich, who was refused boarding on a flight to France. Despite checking in online and passing through security and passport control, he was stopped at the departure gate. 'My passport had been issued more than 10 years previously,' he said. 'They were very matter of fact about it, they just said sorry you can't board, off you pop.'
Jane Opher, a 61-year-old architect from London, was due to fly to Barcelona with her partner but was refused boarding because her passport was issued on 10 February 2014, more than ten years ago, even though it does not officially expire until 10 August 2024. 'It was very stressful—I was traumatised—being told I couldn't board,' she told the BBC.
Simon Calder, travel correspondent at the Independent, estimates that 'easily a couple of hundred people a day' are being turned away from their flights. 'Across the year you could easily find that there's over 100,000 people who lose their holidays as a result of these rules,' he said. He has written to airlines urging them to do more to warn passengers.
Rory Boland, Travel Editor at Which?, advises: 'What's really important is that you check your passport validity and expiry date when booking your holiday. Not when you go to check-in, and certainly not when you travel to the airport.' If your passport is invalid, you can try to book an emergency appointment at your nearest passport office or renew online, which can take up to three weeks.
