SecondPost-Brexit, British travelers to the EU will face stricter passport validity rules that could ruin your holiday if caught.
Gone are the days when you could travel to the EU at any time before your travel document expired; the UK is now a “third country” with rules in place.
EU countries and the wider Schengen area, which includes Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, do not accept such travelers’ passports issued more than 10 years ago.
Before Brexit, British passports issued by the Passport Office were valid for up to 10 years and nine months, taking into account the remaining time on the previous passport. While this wasn’t an issue before, it is now affecting some UK holidaymakers traveling to the EU.
Recent Home Office figures suggest that up to 32 million Britons could be affected by the rule changes.
Many readers are naturally concerned that their travel plans will be affected by an unexpected stop at the check-in counter.
To avoid this, you just need to pass two tests. On the day you enter the Schengen Area, your passport must have been issued within the past 10 years; on the day you plan to leave the country, there are at least three months left before the expiry date printed on the passport.
During an “Ask Me Anything” session independentI answered a series of questions from readers who were worried about their holiday plans and how they might be affected.
Q: My wife’s passport was issued on June 19, 2014 and is valid until January 19, 2025. We were originally scheduled to leave for France on April 5, 2024. Now, her passport is within the 10-year rule, but if the EU considers the expiry date to be June 19, 2024. Does she need to urgently get a new passport, or does the three-month rule apply to the actual expiration date of January 2025?
gibbering owl
A: Thank you so much for raising a very important point so early on. Please excuse me while I continue with Caps Lock. Your passport’s validity is the date printed under “Expiration Date.” This is the expiry date recognized by the EU and other countries around the planet.
To their lasting shame, the British government, some airlines, some travel companies and some journalists have insisted for months that this is not the case. But it is, and it always has been.
Your wife’s passport is therefore valid until 18 June 2024 for travel to France or anywhere else in the UK for a maximum stay of 90 days, i.e. until 15 September 2024 (provided the previous visit does not take up post-Brexit UK allowance). Bon Voyage.
Q: My passport was issued in March 2015 and expires in September 2025. I plan to travel at the end of April. Can you confirm that my current passport will work as it will be valid for less than 10 years when I travel? I just wanted to check if I understood the rules correctly.
Emma
A: There are only two tests in the EU:
Are you younger than 10 years old? Of course, as far as you are concerned. It is only nine years old.
Are there at least three months left before your planned return from the EU? Yes. have a nice trip.
Q: I’m confused because I thought you now need a passport to travel to Dublin because we’ve left the EU.
Lorna
A: The Republic of Ireland belongs to the Common Travel Area (CTA) along with four countries: the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
There are no routine passport controls for citizens traveling from one area of the CTA region to another. As long as you were born in the UK or Ireland, you can legally travel from the UK to Ireland without a passport.
If you plan to travel with Ryanair, the airline insists that you have a valid passport (with no limit on validity, as long as it is not expired). On arrival at Dublin Airport you will go through passport control.
But British Airways said: “If you are a citizen born in the UK or the Republic of Ireland and were born in that country, you do not need a passport to travel between the two countries, but you do need some form of photo identification. , such as a driver’s license license.”
British Airways’ sister airline Aer Lingus added that a photo bus pass or work ID card would be sufficient. The ferry ride is just as easy.
Q: My understanding is that you have to look at the issue date of your passport and add 10 years. This date should be regarded as the expiry date for your travel to the EU. The “issued within 10 years and 3 months remaining before return date from travel” rule will then apply. Is it correct?
Grandma Anne
A: Sorry, Caps Lock again. No, the UK government pretended to be so for a while until I convinced them to actually apply the rules that apply in the EU. Your passport will expire on the date printed under “Expiration Date” in your passport.
Q: I’m confused by the BBC article. How can passports issued before September 2018 be affected now, or do they mean “please note that you will be affected in the future” i.e. passports issued in 2015 will be affected next year?
Sharon
A: We apologize for any confusion caused by the BBC. The September 2018 date is important because it was the day the longstanding tradition of allowing overtime was abolished overnight. Passports issued thereafter cannot breach the rules that the UK requires to apply to itself.
Q: Is the start date question only valid for the EU? I am traveling to Asia and my passport will be valid for more than six months at the time of travel, but on the date of travel it will be valid for 10 years.
Mutsmuts
A: The EU is the only country in the world that cares about passport issue dates. So as long as your passport expiration date meets the requirements of each country, there will be no problem for Asia.
Q: Another Brexit bonus, eh? Is this what they call “taking back control?”
Heinemann
A: I’ve written as much as I can about the benefits of Brexit for travelers here.
After all, we know: “Brexit brings a world of future opportunities to the UK”. It must be true because the government says so.
The main rail unions, which enthusiastically support Brexit, must also be celebrating.
Then there are the “blue” passports. The government said: “As this document shows, this is a government with the ambition and determination that the UK needs to succeed now and for many years to come.”
cheer! Please don’t point out that as members of the EU we can make our passports any color we like.
This article has been edited to include some questions and answers.You can read the full discussion in the comments section Source article.
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