A TV travel expert has cautioned against a passport mistake that “has been catching people out” when they travel to the EU. Chelsea Dickenson, known as the Cheap Holiday Expert, shared the advice on a recent episode of the Passports Please! podcast.
In the video, later shared on the @cheapholidayexp Instagram, the expert explained that you don’t need six months on your passport to travel to the EU, contrary to popular belief. However, she said there is another common mistake UK tourists are making.
Chelsea explained: “To visit the EU, your UK passport should be: valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU (check this date against your passport expiry date) and issued within the last 10 years on the day you enter the EU (check that date with your passport issue date).
“It’s this last one has been catching people out because many people have more than 10 years on their passport since in the past, if you renewed your passport early they’d stick the remaining time into your new passport.”
“They don’t do this anymore as it makes things very confusing – but those with passports issued before 2017 may find this still to be the case with theirs,” she added. “So don’t get caught out.”
Fortunately, there are online tools you can use to check your passport’s validity, including one offered by Confused.com.
Guidance is available on Your Europe, an official website of the European Union. It states: “If you are a national from a country outside the EU wishing to visit or travel within the EU, you will need a valid passport and possibly a visa.
“Your passport should be valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU and it must have been issued within the last 10 years. This means your travel document must have been issued within the previous 10 years the day you enter the EU on condition that it is valid until the end of your stay plus an additional 3 months.”
You can also find guidance on GOV.UK. As set out, you do not need a visa for short trips to the EU or countries in the Schengen area if you’re staying for 90 days or less in a 180-day period and you’re visiting as a tourist or for certain other reasons.
These other reasons include getting medical treatment, studying a short course, travelling for business for your UK employer, and journalism or other media activities. However, you may need a visa or permit if you want to work or stay for more than 90 days, reports Liverpool Echo.
You should always check the entry requirements of the country you’re visiting before travel, which you can do here.
