Martin Lewis has issued an urgent warning to holidaymakers about checking their passports before traveling abroad. The financial expert shared key rules on his BBC podcast, urging people to avoid being turned away at the airport or refused entry at their destination.
Three crucial passport checks
Lewis highlighted three critical factors: your passport must have at least six months validity remaining (or three months for EU travel), and for EU destinations, the passport must be under 10 years old. He explained that even if a passport has three months left, it could be invalid if it is over 10 years old due to previous renewals adding extra months.
“Check that you have a valid passport because it is a nightmare,” Lewis warned. He recounted horror stories of families being turned away, including one where a child’s invalid passport forced the entire family to return home.
How to check your passport
Look at the personal details page for the expiry date under ‘date of expiry’ and compare it with your travel date. Lewis advised: “If any of those things are sounding close, I would strongly suggest you go and look up what the passport requirements are for the specific country you’re going to.”
He also recommended sending a delayed email to yourself a year before your passport expires as a reminder. Lewis himself has 50 to 60 delayed emails set up for this purpose.
