Passport validity - can I go to France?

[WeetabixTowels]

Supposed to be travelling to France on Friday

realised DD’as passport expires on 31st October. It is SO bloody confusing as to wether she can travel. Some sources say it needs six months left, some say 3 some say only for adults? Anyone have any RL insight??

Travelling from UK BTW

Oh and the airline are refusing to advise me 🙄

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements

Does this apply to children? As DD doesn’t have a 10 year passport

What date do you return?

25th July

Yes, it was issued less than 10 years ago as they only have a 5 year validity.

The answer is almost certainly no.
You'll at least need three months of validity left in the passport from the day you travel.
Friday is 18 August. Three months from then is 18 November. So you likely won't have enough time left.

You'll probably be able to leave the UK but the French authorities can turn you away at the border.

31st October is less than 3 months away, and you need 3 months on a passport.

I think you need to try and speak to the passport office to see if you can get an appointment. That’s only 2 months, for some reason I was thinking 3 and was about to say you’ll be fine. 🤦‍♀️

If the rest of the travelling party have plenty of time on theirs, as a child they may let it go. I wouldn’t bank on it though.

Good luck!

You need 3 months remaining on the date you leave the EU. Do you mean you return on 25th August rather than July? It needs to be valid until 25th November to be in date for travel.

It’s three months from the date you leave, not the date you arrive!

And, yes it applies to children’s passports. You will need to get DD a new passport before you go.

What about children’s passports?

Children’s passports need to comply with the above 10-year and 3-month rules.

As passports for those under the age of 16 are valid for 5 years (or 5 years and 9 months at the most, if any unspent time was credited), they will always comply with the 10-year rule. However, due to the shorter validity of children’s passports, care must be taken to comply with the 3-month rule.

I found this @WeetabixTowels which would suggest that your daughter's passport is not valid for travel as it does not have three months left on it from the date you leave France.

And I'm guessing you meant 25th August not July if you are travelling this Friday?

It applies to all passports, your child won’t be allowed to travel.

She needs a new passport- 3 months from your intended return date

Your passport must be:

• issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

Your dds passport doesn't meet the 2nd criteria so she needs a new passport

You need at least three months validity to travel to Europe. Also check when the passport was issued as the timing is from when then

The 10 year issue doesn't affect children as their passports are valid for under 10 years as standard.

Contact the French embassy. They may be able to help
https://uk.ambafrance.org/Contact-Us-24150#Frequenty-Asked-Questions-FAQ

The latest she could have left France would have been 31st July so no

Sorry posted too soon. You should also check when the passport was issued. Previously If eg you renewed the passport 2 months early you were given 2 months added onto the validity of the passport. Since Brexit that changed and the extra months don't count

The extra months do count on child passports as they are under 10 years old anyway even with extra months added. It's only an issue for adult passports where extra months take it over 10 years validity

Thank you that is very useful to know.
But as you say it doesn't help OP.

Thanks all.

Bollocks and arse. Looking into fast track options 😩

I don't understand the confusion about rules - need to have been issued in the past 10 years and have 3 months validity from the time you leave the country

So @WeetabixTowels - your DD cannot travel as per the rules