BRITS have been warned about checking important passport rules before booking last minute summer European getaways.
The August Bank Holiday is just a few weeks away and new research from the Post Office has revealed that around a third (31 per cent) of UK residents are looking to book a last-minute trip.
But thousands of them could end up having their trips ruined when they get to the check-in gates, due to passport rules that they don’t know about.
The majority of Brits planning getaways this August are heading to EU countries, but many admit they aren’t aware of the passport requirements in their destination.
What’s more, a quarter are unaware of the 10-year passport rule for travelling to EU countries, while 23 per cent didn’t know the six-month validity requirement for certain countries.
A further one in ten said that they booked their Bank Holiday trips without checking the expiry date on their passport.
This means that thousands of travellers may either be trying to travel on an expired passport, or mistakenly believe their passport is valid because it has not yet expired.
Rules brought in post-Brexit mean that UK passports must have been issued less than 10 years before the date they enter the EU country – and they must be valid for at least three months after the day they plan to leave.
Anyone whose passports don’t fit in with these requirements will be prevented from travelling.
What’s more, many countries outside of Europe require that UK passports are valid for at least six months beyond their planned date of departure, to cover any unexpected delays or extended stays.
The same Post Office research shows that in the last two years, more than a quarter (26 per cent) of travellers have faced issues because of passport expiry or validity while travelling abroad over the August Bank Holiday.
This has resulted in some needing to pay for expensive last-minute passport renewals, change travel plans at short notice, and in some cases, being unable to go on the holiday at all.
That’s why Post Office has warned people to check the rules of the EU country they plan to visit and to check their passport is still valid now, well in advance of their proposed Bank Holiday travel.
This ensures that there is still enough time to renew any invalid passports, without additional costs, or having to rearrange travel.
The UK government recommends allowing three-weeks for the renewal process, so anyone planning an August Bank Holiday trip still has just enough time to renew, should they need to.
Not everyone is so lucky, however.
The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot has explained exactly what Brits need to know.
“Travellers used to be able to roll over up to nine unused months from their old passport onto a new one.
“But post-Brexit, anyone wanting to travel to the EU can no longer rely on those extra months.
“In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination.
“And you’ll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK.
“Figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old.
“The 10-year rule only applies to countries in the European Union but every country may have different rules on what is accepted – some countries like South Africa, for example, insist you have at least six months left on your passport when you travel and a full clear page.”
Alex Brooke, a 42-year-old architect from London, was caught out when planning to run the Gothenburg half marathon in May this year.
What should have been a memorable weekend away was abruptly ended at the airport departure gate:
She said: “I spent 12 weeks training for the Gothenburg half marathon and was hoping to get a personal best but when I got to the check-in desk, I was told I couldn’t board the plane.
“Because my passport had been issued in April 2014; that meant it had been issued 10 years and 1 month ago And according to the EU rules post-Brexit, if it’s been issued more than 10 years ago, they won’t let you in.
“This trip was also supposed to be a girls’ weekend away with my best friend, leaving the kids behind for once and doing something fun on our own.
“My friend had to fly to Gothenburg alone, so it was a ruined holiday for both of us.
“I was so gutted. I was in tears for about an hour as I was abruptly removed from the airport. I felt really angry at the change in rules around travelling to the EU and lack of information available.
“Like most people, because my passport still had more than six months left before it expired, I assumed it would be fine. Not any more.”
Alex incurred a financial loss of about £370 in total including flight tickets, hotel bookings, registration to the half marathon and airport parking.
Elinor Hull, Director of Government and Identity Services at Post Office said, “Our research shows how it’s crucial for travellers to ensure their passports are up to date according to the travel rules of the country they plan to visit to avoid any unexpected surprises at the check-in desk.
“While Government guidance is that holiday makers should not book travel until they have received their new passport, we understand that not all customers know this.
“With three weeks remaining until the August Bank Holiday weekend, we want to do everything we can to remind people to seize the day in aiming to safeguard their EU travel plans.
“While the expiry date on your passport might look fine, it’s important to also check the issue date to not get caught out by the 10-year-rule.”
Meanwhile, this is how to avoid overpaying to renew your passport.
And these are the huge passport mistakes that could cause you to be kicked off your plane according to travel experts.
