UK residents have been urged by experts to check their passports carefully before booking holidays abroad in a post-Brexit Britain.
Staff at ABTA - The Travel Association have helpfully compiled a list of pre-booking checks for those planning on jet setting abroad this year, warning that 'one of the most important things you need to check is if your passport will be valid for your travel dates'.
The organisation itself is looking out for tourists with hopes of heading to sunnier climates due to the post-Brexit travel market - which has subjected Britons to a series of new stringent rules and regulations with regards to passports.
The Mirror reports that in recent months, countless people have fallen foul of the changes to travel document legislation, leaving them stuck at airport, furious and massively out of pocket. Shirelle Quinn and her son Freddy, who were meant to fly from Alicante to Newcastle Airport Saturday morning, are two recent victims of the recent law and legislation amendment.
They were told by flight provider Tui that they would not be able to fly due to the mum's passport being issued more than ten years ago. Meanwhile, one family were left £2,000 worse off when one of their party, Meg, was unable to travel as her passport was not valid for a Portuguese holiday.
Meg, who believes that the passport rule changes haven't been made clear enough to Britons, said: "We were completely unaware of it. I asked how I got through check-in over two hours ago without it being noticed, plus I entered my passport details when I purchased the flights. They couldn’t answer."
To make sure you don't also get caught out, make sure you go through the following information before heading off on holiday.
Checking passport validity -
ABTA recommends you check your passport's validity by looking at both its issue and expiry date. Some countries require you to have a minimum amount of time left on your passport, which usually between three to six months but this can vary.
Travel to Europe post-Brexit -
ABTA has helped to clarify some of the new rules following the UK leaving the EU. They explain: "Your passport cannot be more than 10 years old when entering the country – so check when your passport was issued and when it is due to expire.
"Most places in Europe will require you to have a least three months left on your passport on the date of departure from your destination – check the Foreign Office advice for the passport rules for your destination. So, when checking if your passport will be valid for the dates of your trip, you need to check both the issue date and the expiry date in your passport."
They add: "If you renewed your current passport early, extra months may have been added to its expiry date and this could affect the requirement for your passport to be less than 10 years old."
Applying for or renewing your passport -
ABTA warns: "Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) is currently advising that it may take up to 10 weeks for applications to be processed when applying from the UK, so make sure you apply in good time."
You can find out more on abta.com.
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