Holidaymakers are being urged not to delay checking their passports ahead of their summer getaways. Figures obtained from the Passport Office by Co-op Insurance show that a massive 4.5 million Brits – almost 7% of the UK’s total population – will see their documents expire before July 18, the week that many schools in England and Wales start to break up for summer.
With the current 10-week lead time in place for passport renewals, people are being urged to check their documents ahead of May 9, which would mean any new documentation would arrive in time for summer holidays abroad. Travelling without a valid passport is physically not possible and most European countries now require British travellers to have a passport which is valid for at least three months after the date they intend to leave the EU country they are visiting and also one which was issued within the previous ten years.
Graham Ward-Lush, head of travel at Co-op Insurance, said: “Many of us won’t have had a proper summer holiday since 2019 and we know that millions of Brits all over the country are eagerly anticipating this year’s getaway, particularly as most travel restrictions have now been lifted. But with many passports having been lying in a drawer for the past two years, we’re urging travellers to check the expiration date on their own passports and also any family members today. Many families in England and Wales will be looking to get away at the end of July, which means May 9 is a good deadline to set yourself in order to ensure that new documents arrive back in time.
“There can’t be a more heartbreaking scenario than unearthing a passport the night before travel, only to realise that it is out of date. We want to help ensure that people all over the UK manage to have their dream holiday this summer and aren’t stranded at home due to invalid travel documentation.”
Co-op Insurance said it had seen a 101% rise in the purchase of travel policies in the four-month period between January and April 2022 compared to the same pre-pandemic period in 2019. It said one in eight policies purchased so far in 2022 cited Spain as the main travel destination. Passport renewals cost between £75 and £85 and can be done digitally using the Government’s online service or via the Post Office’s check and send service.
