British holidaymakers are being warned against overlooking one small detail on their passport – as doing so could jeopardise their travels.
It’s essential that Britons check the expiration date on their passports before travelling, as a lot of countries will only grant visitors entry if there’s a certain amount of time – sometimes as long as six months – left on their passport.
The Post Office says: ‘Many people pack their bags for a holiday or business trip with just a casual glance at their passport expiration date, but if it’s due to expire you may be refused entry.’
Not only that, but the Passport Office notes that when travelling to the EU, a ten-year British passport is only valid for entry for exactly ten years after the date of issue, regardless of the date of expiry.
Money expert Martin Lewis previously touched on the subject on his show, The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, saying: ‘You need to check if you’re going away; do you have six months or more left at the time you go away, and will the passport be under ten years old when you travel?’
It’s essential that Britons check the expiration date on their passports before travelling, as a lot of countries will only grant visitors entry if there’s a certain amount of time left on their passport
He continued: ‘There are many countries now where you won’t be allowed in unless you can fulfil those criteria. Since Brexit, even EU countries require UK passports to have three months left on them now for you to get in, and the passport must be under ten years old. Lots of people miss that second one, so check that.’
Here’s a breakdown of the different passport validity rules in popular holiday destinations around the world, as noted by the Post Office and gov.uk…
AUSTRALIA: Your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay.
BARBADOS: Your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay.
Many people pack their bags for a holiday or business trip with just a casual glance at their passport expiration date, but if it’s due to expire you may be refused entry
CANADA: Your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay, but if you have less than six months’ validity it may take longer to pass through immigration control, the Post Office notes.
CHINA: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
EGYPT: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
THE EU: For most European countries, the passport expiry date should be at least three months after the intended day of departure from EU, says the Passport Office. It continues: ‘However, if you’re travelling to the north of Cyprus, your passport should have at least six months’ validity.’
INDIA: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
INDONESIA: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
JAPAN: Your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay.
JORDAN: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
KENYA: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
MEXICO: Your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay.
Your passport should have at least six months’ validity for travel to countries such as Egypt or Turkey
NEW ZEALAND: Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of one month from the date of exit.
PHILIPPINES: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
SAUDI ARABIA: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
SINGAPORE: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
SOUTH AFRICA: ‘Rules state that your passport should be valid for at least 30 days from the date of exit, but it’s recommended that you have at least six months on your passport before it expires,’ says the Post Office, adding: ‘Your passport should also have at least two blank pages when you enter or leave South Africa.’
SRI LANKA: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
THAILAND: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
TURKEY: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
THE UAE: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
USA: Your passport should be valid for the duration of your stay.
VIETNAM: Your passport should have at least six months’ validity.
You can also find out if your passport is valid for travel to certain countries by checking the Travel Advice section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.
EXTRA PASSPORT TIPS FOR YOUR TRAVELS THIS SUMMER
COUNT YOUR BLANK PAGES
If your passport is filling up with stamps and there’s hardly any space left, you need to renew it – even if you’ve got several years left on it. This is because some countries can be fussy about passports with pages filled. For instance, Italy and South Africa require at least two full blank pages.
SAVE YOUR CASH
There’s one simple way to save money when renewing your passport – apply for it online, rather than by post.
The fee for a standard online application made from within the UK is £82.50 for adults and £53.50 for children. Postal applications, meanwhile are £93 for adults and £64 for children. In general, how you choose to renew your passport could end up costing a family of four £40 more than it should.
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
When applying for a renewed passport, you should allow up to ten weeks from when the passport office receives your old passport, any supporting documents or confirmation of your identity details, according to gov.uk. You can apply online or at a post office.
SHORT ON TIME?
There are two ways to apply for an urgent passport. The first is the ‘online premium’ service, in which you get a new passport at your appointment at your nearest passport office – the earliest you can get an appointment is two days from when you apply.
There’s one simple way to save money when renewing your passport – apply for it online, rather than by post
The second is the one-week ‘fast track’ service, in which you attend an appointment at the passport office, and a new passport is delivered to your home within the subsequent seven days, excluding bank holidays. You must act quickly, however, as passport office appointment slots – each lasting around 30 minutes – are snapped up quickly.
The online premium service will set you back £193.50 for an adult passport, while the one-week fast track service costs £155 for an adult passport.
If you need a passport to travel urgently for healthcare or because a loved one is seriously ill or has died, it’s recommended that you call the ‘Passport Adviceline’ instead.
SCAMS TO WATCH OUT FOR
In April, holidaymakers were warned to look out for fraudsters exploiting passport delays caused by industrial action by UK Passport Office workers by offering bogus ‘fast-track’ services.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) warned that scammers were using increasingly sophisticated and convincing methods to trick travellers into paying for non-existent services.
The CTSI said it had seen a number of texts and emails offering speedy passport renewals, warning that victims could lose personal data to fraudsters as well as money.
CTSI chief executive John Herriman said: ‘As always, scammers are quick to leap on any opportunity to take advantage of uncertainty and upheaval. The exploitation of delays brought about by Passport Office strikes is just the latest example of scammers preying on people’s vulnerability.’
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