Travel experts have issued an urgent notice for those holding on to their pre-Brexit burgundy passports: it’s time to check the expiration dates. Even though these passports haven’t been issued since the UK parted ways with the EU in 2020, they’re still good for trips until 2025—as long as they’re up-to-date.
Remember, a lot of destinations demand that your passport has at least six months’ validity remaining.
Alvaro Iturmendi, the savvy at Confused.com when it comes to travel insurance, advised holidaymakers, stating: “Booking your holidays can be very exciting, and a welcome distraction to the beginning of the year blues.”
He cautioned, however, that “But no matter how far in advance you’re planning, it’s never too early to check your passport’s validity, so you don’t get caught out last minute.”
Travellers heading to popular EU haunts like Spain and the Netherlands might not know that the issue date matters too—your passport must have been issued within the past decade relative to your departure date. Alvaro pointed out that this was news to many since “Our research found that less than half (43 per cent) of travellers knew that if you’re heading to the EU, your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before their departure date,” and failing to meet this requirement could lead to some unfortunate holiday hiccups, possibly even getting turned away at the border or at the airport before your adventure even begins, reports Birmingham Live, reports the Mirror.
“Either way, it’s likely to lead to a lot of disruption to your holiday plans.”
Since Brexit, the UK has started issuing blue passports, and most citizens are required to renew them every 10 years. “An emergency passport could cost up to £207 depending on its urgency,” Alvaro noted.
“And if you leave it to the last minute, having to take time off work and travel to visit a passport office could become costly and time consuming. This is especially true if you need to visit an office far from home. Unfortunately, travel insurance will not cover the cost of last minute travel for an emergency passport, nor for any missed flights or holidays.”
“It’s important to always double-check your passport’s expiration date as soon as you start planning your trip, and leave yourself ample time to renew it if needed. By using our passport checker, you can save a great deal of time, money, and stress.”
If your passport needs to be renewed, you have the option to apply either by post or online.
