Many countries have strict passport rules for UK travellers
A British passport(Image: Getty Images/Kypros)
UK holidaymakers who are still using an old red passport have been given a summer travel alert. If you’re planning a sun-soaked break this year, make sure you check your passport before you fly out due to stringent entry regulations in other countries.
Many countries have rules which require your passport to be valid for an additional six months before you depart for international travel. This is referred to as the ‘six-month validity rule’, and many people using old red passports from before Brexit may risk their documents not having sufficient time remaining.
Scores of other countries, including all of those within the Schengen area, have a three-month passport validity rule. UK travellers can therefore enter these countries only if their passport is valid for at least three more months.
If you still have a red passport, it’s crucial to check its expiry date. Since Brexit, your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day of arrival in the EU, and its expiry date should be at least three months after your intended departure date from the EU.
Most people, understandably, presume that an adult passport lasts 10 years, but if your passport was issued before October 1, 2018, extra months might have been added to its expiry date if the previous passport was renewed before it fully expired.
You can check if your passport will be valid for your journey on GOV.UK. You’ll need to look up the country you’re visiting and click on ‘entry requirements’. You’re also only permitted to stay for a maximum of 90 days within a six-month period.
Some of the countries with a six-month passport rule include the USA, Australia, Thailand, China, United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia. If you don’t have enough time left on your passport you will not be able to travel as planned.