Where can you go on holiday with 3 months validity on passport? What about transiting...

[polka62]

Looking to getaway on a longhaul trip but one of us has a passport expiring 3 months after the proposed return date. We were thinking Southeast Asia but that would require transitting/catching a connecting flight in the middle east, is this allowed? Or do we need to go the other way so its a direct flight? Eg. Caribbean.

Who do we call for confirmation before booking? Should say passport was issued over 10 years ago, where do I check rules around that? cant find it on gov uk (so passport issued around 10yr 3months from trip with 3 months of validity left)

Thanks!

A lot of people who had passports issued more than ten years previously were turned away at airports last year. It was in the news a lot.

Either way I wouldn't risk booking a holiday with a passport that might not be vaild. Why can't your friend use the FastTrack service?

https://www.gov.uk/get-a-passport-urgently/1-week-fast-track-service

thanks @DaleTremont

@RampantIvy

Thanks for that, but apparently no fast track appointments are available. I think the group is keen to get somewhere booked without leaving it mega last minute/too late to get anything at all.

Surely a passport is either valid or it isnt, this is what I'm trying to find out. I would have thought its fine seeing as the passport says it expired over 3 months after proposed dates of the trip. It is also within 10 years of issue. I appreciate we are shaving it fine. Just want to know if yes this is ok to book, in which case we'd go ahead and book one of the destinations that only need a valid passport for the duration of the trip. Obviously if its not ok, then wouldnt book. The others are not on MN (far as I'm aware) and seem to think it is fine and are going by the expiry date as stated on the passport. I also wasnt aware of the 10 year rule so thank you for people pointing out, but would like some concrete evidence if thats ok and not just word of mouth on MN.

Aren't they on strike? The passport office I mean? Surely they're not going to be there?

Simon Calder has written a lot about the passport validity rules, some articles here:

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/renew-passport-eu-expiration-rules-travel-b2274569.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/passport-renewal-travel-rules-holiday-expire-b2116795.html

The issue countries have over passport validity periods is around wanting to make sure you can, and do, leave and don't get stuck there without a valid passport.

OP have you also not heard that passport office staff are striking for until 5 May? The best thing your friend can do is apply to renew their passport online and cross their fingers. Or find one of the very few destinations you can go to with a shorter passport validity period.

A passport is a document issued by a government which certifies your identity, which permits you to travel abroad. Whether you can enter another country is down to that other country to decide. Freedom of movement in the EU meant we took a lot of foreign travel, including short passport validity periods, no visa requirements, etc, etc for granted.

America

What about Bermuda? You can fly there direct from the UK and the passport only needs to be valid for the duration of your stay.

We applied for a new passport for DS around 3 weeks ago, it came back within 10 days.

I appreciate this was before the strikes began, but was still a lot faster than I'd expected.

@ghislaine hadnt thought about Bermuda, thank you. I think the plan is to call up the office/embassy of the country we decide to book flights to just to make doubly make sure we are ok in terms of passport validity etc.

Bermuda is a great shout though, any other suggestions at all? Would be handy to have a list of all the countries you only need passport validity only for the duration of stay. The lists on the Independent etc that people have shared so far are obviously not all inclusive.

Just going to suggest looking at the weather if you're looking to go to the Southern Hemisphere in May. Unless very much into the tropics (Carribean, etc) it will be starting to get cold. I'm fairily tropical in Brazil in the São Paulo state and May is definitely when things start getting chilly (aka not shorts weather). You mention Argentina, so I thought it might be worth having it in mind as I expect you won't have a beach weather in Argentina.

We did Barbados 3 months before my daughters was due to expire.

I’d check the airline will board you. I’m not based in the UK but here the airlines won’t board you if you have less than 6 months validity on your passport. Too risky for them as they get exposed to fines. I know as we double checked when my son’s passport was going to be just short (by a few days) of the six months. I think you are taking a far bigger risk attempting this than the risk of not getting the new passport in time.