Travellers across the North East should be aware of a little-known passport rule which could stop them from visiting a country in Europe.
Those planning to travel to a EU country (except Ireland), Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.
The Liverpool Echo reports how most people know that their passports should be valid for at least three months after the day they plan to leave. However there is another important rule which they should be aware of.
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- Their passport must have been issued less than 10 years BEFORE the date they ENTER the country.
Many travellers have been caught out because they think their passports are valid as they are not due to expire for some time. However if they turn up at an airport with an invalid passport they may be denied entry to EU countries.
The date a person's passport was issue is printed in their passport. It will be under 'date of issue'.
If a passport was issued before October 1, 2018 extra months may have been added to its expiry date. However these months will not be valid for people entering the EU.
Travellers can make sure they meet the entry requirements of the destination country before booking their trip by checking the Foreign Office's website.
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