Martin Lewis has urged Brits travelling abroad for a holiday this summer to make sure they’re checking two important details concerning passports. The Money Saving Expert recently appeared on This Morning to break down the “crucial” checks holidaymakers should be doing while preparing for their holiday – as they could have you seen turned away at the gate.
Martin explained that travellers need to keep an eye on the passport’s validity dates, specifically when it is valid until – but more crucially, on the day you arrive at the country you’re heading to. Firstly, Martin urged people to check whether they have six months left on their passports, or three months if they’re visiting countries in the European Union. He warned: “If you have less than six months left, you might still be okay, but then you need to go and check the individual countries requirements.”
The second check is the “one that catches people out”, Martin explained. He said he often gets emails from the public claiming they’ve been turned away from the plane or when they arrive at border control.
He asked: “Is your passport under ten years old? So you could have more than six months left, but your passport be ten years old and you can get turned back.”
The Post Office explained that a passport’s validity is just as important and essential as taking out travel insurance or having the right foreign currency for when you go on holiday. UK passports issued after 2018 are valid for exactly ten years.
But if your passport was issued before September 2018, it might be valid for up to ten years and nine months. This is because, before 2018, the passport office would add up to nine extra months from your old passport to your new one.
The Post Office explained that this means some people have passports that haven’t officially expired and are still valid for travel worldwide. However, the exception is travel in Europe, where passports must be less than ten years old
Martin urged people to look at how old their passport is, not just how long is left on its validity. He said: “If your passport is more than ten years old on the day you arrive, you can be turned back for that as well. And it happens”
To travel to Europe and Schengen countries, your passport must be issued less than ten years before your departure date for your holiday, and it must be valid for at least three months after your scheduled return.
There are also a number of countries which don’t require six months of passport validity, including Albania, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.
You can check if your passport is valid or will be valid for your trip by visiting Gov.UK. You will be able to search for the country you’re visiting and its entry requirements.