More than four million people jetted off from Newcastle Airport in 2022, and if you're planning to join them this year, it pays to make sure you're on board with the latest passport rules which apply to travellers from the UK.
Travel experts are warning Brits to check their passports now to avoid any issues and delays to holidays and if it’s been a while since you last visited Europe, you may not be aware of changes which could affect your ability to get away this summer. The UK is now classed as a third country by the EU, meaning the entry rules are slightly different for British passport holders. The main difference is the amount of time Brits can now spend in the EU. Whereas before, you could travel for as long as you wanted, you can now only visit for 90 out of 180 days at a time.
More than 1,000 passport office workers took part in a five-week strike up to May 5, which is expected to cause major disruption at most offices, including Durham, and holidaymakers have been warned of a "significant impact" on passport delivery as summer looms. And as the clock ticks down to the summer holiday season, we've compiled a checklist of what you need to know about your passport.
Read more: What are your options if your passport doesn't arrive in time?
What is the current wait time for a new passport?
As the cost of fast-tracking a new passport is significantly more than a standard applications, it pays to renew your passport well in advance. If you have less than six months left on you passport, you should consider applying apply for a new one immediately, as the Home Office was predicting another massive year for renewals even before the strikes were announced.
The current wait time for a new passport remains at 10 weeks according to the passport office website. If you don’t receive your new passport in time, you will not be able to travel and for this reason, consumer experts Which? recommends booking your trip as a package holiday, with a provider that offers good flexibility. That way, if you do encounter any issues with renewing your passport, you may be able to rearrange the trip.
In February, passport application fees rose for the first time in five years. If you’re applying online, the fee has risen by £7 for adults (from £75.50 to £82.50) and £4.50 for children (from £49 to £53.50).
When you apply, beware of copycat websites which imitate official Government websites for passport applications. These websites can charge users £20 - £100 on top of the official passport fee, by offering additional ‘validation’ services. If you are nervous about applying for a passport, consider using the Post Office's Check & Send Service, which passport application guidance from specially trained Postmasters for an extra £16 on top of the passport fee.
Here we unpack the rules around passports that you might not be aware of:
Is my passport valid to enter the EU?
It may sound obvious to make sure that your passport is valid for the entire duration of your trip, but did you know that experts recommend that your passport should be in date for at least six months after your arrival if you are travelling to EU countries, even if you’re only planning on visiting for a day?
To enter the EU on a British passport, it needs to meet two criteria.
- It must have been issued in the past 10 years at the time of entry.
- It must be valid for at least three months on the date that you exit the EU.
While these rules look simple enough, they’ve been open to various interpretations, which has led to passengers being turned away at the airport. Ultimately, your destination country holds the authority to permit or deny entry, so if you want to check entry requirements for the country you will be visiting, visti the FCDO website.
My passport was issued over 10 years ago – can I enter the EU?
No and some travellers have been caught out at airports because of this. Up until 2018, the Government allowed for unspent time on passports to be added to the new passport when renewing, meaning some UK passports are valid for more than 10 years. This didn't matter when we were in the EU, but now that we are classed as a third country, you will be denied entry if your passport issue date was more than 10 years ago.
Confusion arose when airlines or border control applied the strictest interpretation of the EU’s passport validity rules after the FCDO advised that passports needed to be no more than nine years and nine months old, counting the three months before expiry as part of the 10 years. There were also mix-ups about whether the passport needs to have been issued within 10 years at the time of entering or exiting the EU country.
The EU Commission said last year that instead of insisting the passport needs to be less than 10 years old throughout the entire stay in the EU, it needs to be less than 10 years old at the point of entry. However, this can be down to individual countries, so it's best to check the destination’s rules before booking your trip.
Do I need to have three months or six months left on my passport?
Until further clarification is given by the EU, Which?, the European Commission and the UK Government all advise travelling with at least six months left on your passport.
Legally, you are required to have at least three months left on your passport at the time you plan on exiting the EU but some Schengen Zone countries are asking for at least six months and sometimes, it may simply come down to the discretion of the border guard to cover travellers who tend to stay in the EU for longer than they say.
EU countries such as Spain, France, Italy and Greece all require your passport to be valid from day after departure, be less than ten years old and valid for at least three months after the day you leave.
Check your blank pages
To add to the confusion, some countries, such as Italy, require a fully blank visa page for valid entry, so if you run out of blank passport pages you will have to renew your passport sooner than your renewal date.
Make sure your passport isn't ripped
In recent years, a number of holidaymakers have reported being refused boarding at the airport because of a damaged passport. According to The Post Office, HM Passport Office classes a passport as damaged if:
- Details are indecipherable
- The laminate has lifted enough to allow the possibility of photo substitution
- There’s discolouration of the bio-data page
- There’s chemical or ink spillage on any page
- There are missing or detached pages
- The chip or antenna shows through the end paper on the back cover for the new style e-passports
- The chip has been identified as damaged after investigation
Do I need a visa to travel to Europe as a tourist post-Brexit?
No, you can stay in the Schengen Zone for up to 90 days within a 180-day period as a British passport holder. This means that you can visit as many Schengen countries as you like as long as you don’t exceed 90 days in total within 180 days.
In January 2023, Croatia joined the Eurozone, meaning any time spent there now counts towards your 90 days in the Schengen Zone, and Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania have their own individual 90-day limits, which means if you travel to one of these countries, it doesn’t count towards the 90-day limit for the Schengen Zone. Croatia was the same until this year.
What about travelling to Ireland?
British passport holders can travel to Ireland exactly as they did before Brexit. The 90/180-day rule does not apply and the previous passport validity rules stand.
What can I do if I’m denied entry due to my passport being invalid?
It's the passenger’s responsibility to make sure their passport is valid to travel, and you can’t usually claim compensation if you are turned away at the airport for this, although you might be able to reschedule your flights and/or holiday if your provider has flexible booking policies. However, if you think the airline has wrongfully denied you boarding due to a misinterpretation of the EU’s passport rules, you may be entitled to compensation if you can prove that to be the case.
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