Holidaymakers are being warned to check their passports before heading on holiday.
Along with making sure you have checked and followed covid guidelines, ABTA - The Association of British Travel Agents - are warning that anyone outside of the EU must check the dates on their passports or risk not being allowed into an EU country - They add it's 'one of the most important things you need to do'.
In the wake of lockdown, the passport office saw a surge of passport applications as many had put off renewing their documents and was urging people to get them in early before booking flights. The backlog lead to a delay in passports being issued.
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Along with that, from 2020, tourists heading into the Schengen Area had to make sure they had enough time on their passports left and it was issued within ten years. This meant that if you had extra dates added onto your passport, they were invalid.
The ABTA have released a guideline to help tourists who are jetting off abroad.
Passport validity
ABTA is urging people to check the passport's validity by looking at both its issue and expiry date. Some countries require you to have a minimum amount of time left on your passport, which usually between three to six months but this can vary.
To enter most EU countries, your passport must be,
- Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country
- Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave
You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before October 1 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.
Travel to Europe after Brexit
ABTA has confirmed some of the new travel rules that have been put in place since the UK left the EU.
They explain: "Your passport cannot be more than 10 years old when entering the country – so check when your passport was issued and when it is due to expire.
"Most places in Europe will require you to have a least three months left on your passport on the date of departure from your destination – check the Foreign Office advice for the passport rules for your destination. So, when checking if your passport will be valid for the dates of your trip, you need to check both the issue date and the expiry date in your passport.
"If you renewed your current passport early, extra months may have been added to its expiry date and this could affect the requirement for your passport to be less than 10 years old."
Applying for or renewing your passport
ABTA warns: "Her Majesty's Passport Office (HMPO) is currently advising that it may take up to 10 weeks for applications to be processed when applying from the UK, so make sure you apply in good time."
You can find out more on abta.com.
Which countries count as being in the Schengen Area?
- Austria
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Passport rules for Ireland
Ireland is included in the Common Travel Area and so if you’re using a passport to enter Ireland, it should be valid and in date.
You should also check your air or sea carrier’s terms and conditions of travel. For journeys on the island of Ireland, British and Irish citizens do not require any travel documents when crossing the land border.
However, some airlines, such as Ryanair require passengers to have a passport for all travel. Irish passport control will the ID of all visitors and may ask for proof of nationality, so it is wise to have a passport to hand.
Check with your travel agent or with the Foreign Office whether you need anything else to pass immigration. Some countries require a visa or still require Covid passes or proof of vaccinations.
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