His Majesty’s (HM) Passport Office has issued an alert to anyone with a British passport. The announcement comes ahead of what travel experts are predicting to be a hugely busy summer for trips abroad.
Millions of people from the UK are set to jet off abroad over the coming months, And a post from the official HM Passport Office account on X, formerly Twitter, is urging people to check their passports now.
The alert reads: “Did you know that some countries require your passport to be valid for several months after your scheduled return date? Check your passport expiry date today!” An accompanying link shows holidaymakers and other travellers where they can find all the information they need for travel to some 226 countries and territories.
For example, anyone travelling to a destination within the Schengen area on a UK passport will need their document to have a “date of issue” less than 10 years before the date they arrive. It must also have an “expiry date” at least three months after the day they plan to leave the Schengen area, which is made up of some 29 countries, including Spain, Greece, France, and Italy.
If you’re heading to Turkey on a British passport, it must have an expiry date at least 150 days after the date you arrive and at least one blank page. And if you’re going on holiday to Dubai, or anywhere else in the UAE, your passport must have an expiry date at least six months after the date you arrive.
You can find out more about the entry requirements for your destination at Gov.uk.
