A Co Down mum is urging travellers to check the expiry dates on their passports, to avoid going through a similar ordeal to her and her young son.
Tara and Chris Beattie were looking forward to a sun holiday with their sons Sam, 5, and Ryan, 2, and had made sure they had the relevant Covid passports for the trip.
But unbeknown to the young family, when travelling to most European countries, the Passport Office recommends the passport expiry date is "at least three months after the intended day of departure from EU".
Read more: Key laws for tourists in Spain to be aware of while on holiday
Sam's passport was due to expire on August 9, and although they would be home before this date, he was unable to fly on Thursday.
Tara said she wanted to share her experience in the hope that it wouldn't happen to anyone else, so she took to her Instagram page ' Sisters and Sons ' which she runs alongside her sister Kerry.
The duo, who share their experiences of motherhood and sisterhood to their 17.5K followers, have already prompted other hopeful flyers to check their passports.
"We are supposed to be in Spain and I am very much still in Northern Ireland," Tara said on her stories this morning.
"It was our 2020 holiday that had been booked with friends and we'd re-booked it for now. But basically, public service announcement - did you know that if your passport has an expiry date and you don't have an excess of three months, that you can't fly? We didn't.
"We got checked in online, entered all the passport numbers no problem. Got to the airport yesterday, checked in, checked our bags in and handed over our passports at the check-in desk. We got through security and I was delighted that our bags weren't overweight and that we got through security with plenty of time.
"We got something to eat, went to WHSmith and bought a new book. We were then in the queue at the gate and handed over our passports with the boarding cards and were told that Sam's expires on August 9, but because there's not three months, with the new Brexit EU ruling, [he couldn't go].
"Technically we would have been away on our holiday and back before August, but Sam couldn't fly because his didn't have this three month buffer.
"This is your warning, that if you are going on holiday this summer, [to check the dates]. It is only for British Passports. The rules aren't in place if it is an Irish Passport. I know we are in a fortunate position, I totally get it. We are lucky that we were going on holiday.
"I would hate this to happen to anyone else, or for another child because Sam had to watch that plane go without him and he couldn't fly. If you have less than three months, renew your passport. I had no idea, I thought because we were back before Sam's expired, there would be no issue.
"We watched the plane go, I was trying to hold myself together."
Tara and Sam went from the airport, where they had been offered guidance and support from the easyJet team, in a taxi to the Passport Office, where staff could see what they had been through, and offered them an emergency appointment.
While there, a spokeswoman in the Passport Office said they have had a number of people being caught out by the expiry date rules.
Sam was able to get new passport photos taken, and a renewal form was sent away, with the pair now eager to reunite with their family in Spain.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Tara said: "It feels like I am in a move. Not real. I feel sick to my stomach with guilt for Sam and hoping we hear from the Passport Office soon.
"I would hate this to happen to another family and a few people have messaged to say they have checked their passports since seeing out stories and have noticed they are going to have the same issue, so hopefully they get it renewed in time and it won't ruin their holiday."
Read more: Irish passport panic for NI family after three month wait for son's travel document
Read more: How do I apply for an Irish passport?
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