Brits who are planning on travelling to Europe this summer have been warned to check their passport expiry date before they go away. New rules have come into effect following Brexit which means you may not be able to enter the EU if your passport is due for renewal soon.
Some holidaymakers have even been denied boarding due to their passport not meeting the expiration rules required by countries in the Schengen Zone. With the summer holidays fast approaching, it’s important to ensure your passport meets the criteria.
Under the new rules UK passport holders travelling to the EU (except Ireland) need to make sure that their passport was issued less than 10 years before the date they enter the country. The passport also needs to be valid for at least three months after the day they plan to leave.
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For example if you were travelling to Spain on July 21, 2023 and returning to the UK on August 4, 2023, the passport would need to have been issued less than 10 years before July 21 2023 and be valid for at least three months after August 4 2023.
It’s important that British holidaymakers check their passport as they can have additional months added to the expiry depending on when they had their passport renewed. Some passports can be up to 10 years and nine months old.
Graeme Buck, Director of Communications at ABTA the trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry, said: “ABTA’s message is don’t delay, check today. Most of our favourite European destinations, including Spain, France, Italy, Greece and Portugal, now have different passport validity requirements for British passport holders.
“So, if you’re planning to travel to Europe this summer, save yourself the stress later on by digging out your passport now, following our handy guide to check if it will be valid, and making sure you renew promptly if needed. And, if you’re not sure if it’s valid, check our passport pages on the ABTA website.”
Why are there new rules in place?
Since Brexit, British travellers are subject to stricter measures. A spokesperson for SchengenVisaInfo told the M.E.N.: “The 10-year limit has been set by the EU authorities, as they believe that after a period of ten years, all travel documents should be updated with the biometric data and photo of the passport holder, in order to avoid fraud.
“The reason behind the three months is that the EU wants to avoid the presence in its territory of people with an expired passport, in cases when a traveller either decides to prolong their stay in the EU, or are forced to do so due to circumstances.”
They added: “The rules that apply for adults, also apply to children, who also need to have at least three months of validity in passports on the date they leave the EU.”
How do I renew my passport and how long does it take?
The Passport Office advises Brits to allow 10 weeks to apply for a new passport or renew an old passport. However, according to the website passportwaitingtime.co.uk people are receiving their passports in around 18 days, so if you are hoping to get yours renewed before the summer holidays then there’s still some time.
You can renew your passport online which costs £82.50 or by post for £93. You will need your existing passport and a digital photograph to renew online.
To apply by post you will need to complete a form which can be collected from the Post Office and you will need two new printed photos of yourself.
If you need to get your passport sooner there are two options available. You can use the one-week Fast Track to renew an adult or child passport, change the details on your passport, replace a lost or stolen passport or to apply for a first child passport.
For the Fast Track service you will need to book an appointment at your nearest passport office. The Fast Track service costs £155 for an adult passport and £126 for a child passport.
Alternatively if you’re renewing an adult passport that was issued after December 31 2001 then you can use the Online Premium service, which costs £193.50. You can apply and book an appointment online. You will get your new passport at your appointment, which can be as early as two days from when you apply.
You only need to make an appointment at a Passport Customer Service Centre if using the Fast Track or Online Premium options. The centres are based in: Belfast, Birmingham, Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport and Peterborough.
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