Many Brits will be planning to jet off on holiday this summer after Covid ruined our previous plans. And although it may feel like a while off yet until you can soak up the sun by the pool, holidaymakers are being urged to check their passports this week.
After the government confirmed that an “unprecedented demand” for new passports is causing applicants to wait up to 10 weeks for their documents, anyone planning to travel abroad is being warned to allow extra time if they need to renew their passport.
Figures from the Passport Office obtained by Co-op Insurance indicate that 4.5 million Brits will see their passport expire before July 18, the week that many schools break up for summer in England and Wales.
This means that if you’re planning a holiday around this date, you will need to ensure you check your passport ahead of May 9 to ensure documents arrive in time, WalesOnline reports.
Given that the school summer holidays take place earlier than this in Scotland, families planning a holiday in June or early July may need to look at fast-tracking their application if they need a new passport.
Travellers should also bear in mind that many countries in Europe require them to have at least three months left on their passport from the date they intend to leave their destination, while some other countries, particularly in Africa or Asia, even require six months.
This rule means that if you are planning a holiday to France until July 24, for example, your passport would have to have an expiry date of no earlier than October 24.
Or if you were travelling to a country such as Turkey that employs the six-month passport rule and departing on that same date, your passport expiry date would have to be January 24, 2023, or later.
Graham Ward-Lush, head of travel at Co-op Insurance, said: “Many of us won’t have had a proper summer holiday since 2019 and we know that millions of Brits all over the country are eagerly anticipating this year’s getaway, particularly as most travel restrictions have now been lifted.
“But with many passports having been lying in a drawer for the past two years, we’re urging travellers to check the expiration date on their own passports and also any family members today.
“Many families in England and Wales will be looking to get away at the end of July, which means May 9 is a good deadline to set yourself in order to ensure that new documents arrive back in time.
“There can’t be a more heart-breaking scenario than unearthing a passport the night before travel, only to realise that it is out of date. We want to help ensure that people all over the UK manage to have their dream holiday this summer and aren’t stranded at home due to invalid travel documentation.”
Holidaymakers can apply for a passport renewal online through the Government website or by using the Post Office’s Check & Send service.
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