Thousands of Brits are counting down to their summer holidays, but there is a very important check that needs to be done first. Many people have already been caught out, leaving their getaways in tatters.
Travel expert Simon Calder recently explained that "thousands upon thousands" of people haven't realised before it is too late and missed their booked holidays. To help avoid it happening to more holidaymakers, I asked a range of travel experts the one important check everyone must do before heading to the airport.
They all agreed that Brits heading to Europe need to not only check the passport's validity but also ensure it was issued less than 10 years ago. Before 2018, passports could remain valid for as long as 10 years and nine months.
But now if you are heading to the EU or Schengen areas, you cannot have passports older than 10 years when you arrive at their holiday destination. It must also be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to return home.
The Check Every Brit Needs to Do
Francis Hellyer, CEO of tickadoo, said: "People check the expiry date, see it is months away, and relax. But for getting into the EU the border does not care about your expiry date, it cares about your issue date.
"If your passport is more than 10 years old on the day you land, you can be turned away at the gate even with eight months left on the page. Check the date of issue, not just the date of expiry."
Natasha Inglis, Implementation and Client Success Director at Good Business Travel, added: "Your passport might still be in date, but that doesn't always mean it's valid for travel. Most travellers only look at their passport's expiry date, but the issue date is just as important. For travel to EU countries, passports must be less than 10 years old on the day you arrive. This means that certain valid passports could still be rejected at the airport, so it's really crucial to check both dates before you travel."
Patrick Hill, Head of Paramount Cruises, said he is seeing "more and more" people getting caught out, especially when making last minute bookings. He urged travellers to make the passport check before booking rather than before flying, and remember the new rules regarding the 10 year issue date.
Patrick explained: "If you renewed before October 1, 2018, the Passport Office sometimes carried over unused months from your old passport. The EU doesn't count those. So check your date of issue, not just your expiry, they're not the same thing."
As well as passports not being allowed to be older than 10 years, there must be three months left after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area. However, Patrick noted that cruise lines often require six months from the end of the cruise.
He added: "Check both your issue date and expiry date the moment you start booking, not the week you travel. We've seen too many holidays evaporate at the check-in desk over a few missing months."
How to Check Your Passport
Find the date of issue on your passport photo page and add 10 years. Make sure your outbound flight falls before that date.
Next, find the date of expiry and minus three months. Make sure your return flight falls before that date. Ensure you check every passport included in your booking, especially children's passports as they only last five years.
Francis Hellyer warned: "Do not assume that being allowed to check in means you are safe. Airlines turn away borderline passports to avoid EU fines, and immigration can still refuse you even after you board. If anything looks tight, renew now."
He added: "When someone is refused boarding, the flight is only the start of the loss. We see how much a family spends on the holiday itself, the tours, the show tickets, the day trips, and a lot of that is non-refundable. A passport check takes two minutes and it is the cheapest insurance you will ever buy for the whole trip."
