UK holidaymakers still using an old red passport have been issued a summer travel alert
Many people still have a red UK passport(Image: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
UK holidaymakers still carrying an old red passport have been issued with an urgent summer travel alert.
If you’re planning a sun-soaked getaway this year, it’s essential to check your passport before jetting off due to strict entry requirements in other countries. Many countries have regulations which demand your passport remains valid for an additional six months before you set off for international travel. Known as the ‘six-month validity rule’, many people still using pre-Brexit red passports may find their documents don’t have enough time left on them.
Dozens of other nations, including all those within the Schengen zone, operate a three-month passport validity rule. UK travellers can therefore only enter these countries if their passport has at least three months remaining.
If you’re still in possession of a red passport, it’s vital to verify its expiry date. Following Brexit, your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you arrive in the EU, and its expiry date must be at least three months beyond your planned departure date from the EU.
Most people naturally assume an adult passport lasts a decade, but if your passport was issued before October 1, 2018, additional months may have been added to its expiry date if the previous passport was renewed before it had completely expired. You can verify whether your passport will be valid for your trip on GOV.UK.
Simply look up your destination country and click on ‘entry requirements’. Bear in mind you’re also only allowed to remain for a maximum of 90 days within a six-month period, reports Wales Online. Nations with a six-month passport validity requirement include the USA, Australia, Thailand, China, United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. If your passport doesn’t have sufficient time remaining, you will be unable to travel as intended.
As new-style blue passports only begun to be issued in 2020 it is unlikely yours will not have enough time left on it – unless it is a child’s passport (as these are only valid for five years). However other reasons your passport may be void include damage and not being signed.
