Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

I don’t understand the passport thing

68 replies

Dogondoolally · 27/03/2024 18:31

So we are due to go away in May this year and the news has been on about the 10yr rule now being enforced and catching people out.
so I don’t understand it. I know you must have at least 3 months left on passport from day you return but it’s the 10 yr thing I can’t understand.
my passport says
Issue Date June 2015
Expiry Date August 2025
so extra months, will I be able to fly ??

OP posts:
Misthios · 27/03/2024 18:32

Yes because 10 years from the issue date is still a year in the future.

AgentProvocateur · 27/03/2024 18:33

Your passport is up in June 2025, so if you go away on May this year, you’ll be fine.

YouwouldthinkIhavemoresense · 27/03/2024 18:34

I don’t understand this. Can someone please explain?
I thought you had to have at least six months on your passport left?

EndlesslyDistracted · 27/03/2024 18:35

It will expire in June 25 not Aug 25. So you will be fine this year but if you need it next year you will need to renew it three months (or whatever for where you are going) before June.

minipie · 27/03/2024 18:35

Basically the EU regards your passport as expiring 10 years after it was issued. So it will see your passport as expiring in June 2025 not August 2025.

AND it wants you to be at least 3 months away from expiry when you travel.

So the latest you can travel to EU countries on this passport is March 2025 (3 months before June 2025).

SueSheeMee · 27/03/2024 18:36

You need to ignore the expiry date (for EU and many other nations). It's the issue date + 10 years for an adult British passport that you need to use. So yours expires for the EU and many others in June 25.

Fulshaw · 27/03/2024 18:37

You are fine. You would have a problem if you tried to travel between June 2025 and August 2025

minipie · 27/03/2024 18:39

I thought you had to have at least six months on your passport left?

Yes this is true, some non EU countries
require 6 months validity, but these countries don’t do the EU 10 year cut off, so they regard the expiry as August 2025 not June 2025. So for these countries you count 6 months back from August 2025, and that’s the latest you can travel to these countries.

Sewaccidentprone · 27/03/2024 18:40

Your passport is valid for 10 years and 2 months as you applied prior to your prev passport expiring. So whatever time was left on your old passport was added to your new one.

Under the new rules the extra 2 mths is discounted.

so you’ll be fine this year, but next year you’ll only be able to travel until March 2025 - 3 mths before the 10 year period.

Hope this makes sense😁

minipie · 27/03/2024 18:42

minipie · 27/03/2024 18:35

Basically the EU regards your passport as expiring 10 years after it was issued. So it will see your passport as expiring in June 2025 not August 2025.

AND it wants you to be at least 3 months away from expiry when you travel.

So the latest you can travel to EU countries on this passport is March 2025 (3 months before June 2025).

Gah, sorry I’ve realised this is not correct. Sorry. Ignore me

(can’t see an edit function for some reason)

Meowandthen · 27/03/2024 18:44

YouwouldthinkIhavemoresense · 27/03/2024 18:34

I don’t understand this. Can someone please explain?
I thought you had to have at least six months on your passport left?

Six months is correct for the majority of countries.

minipie · 27/03/2024 18:45

So it needs to be less than 10 years from the date of expiry AND it needs to have 3 months remaining.

But - contrary to what I first said - you don’t need to add both together ie you don’t need 3 months as of June 2025. You need to be travelling before June 2025 (which you are) and with 3 months left on your passport using the August expiry date (this depends on exactly which dates in May you are going and what date in August your passport expires).

spikypinkduvet · 27/03/2024 18:47

It’s stupid the expiry date should be the expiry date and even if you fly with a week left as long as you’re booked to come back before the actual date it should be ok

AlisonDonut · 27/03/2024 18:48

minipie · 27/03/2024 18:45

So it needs to be less than 10 years from the date of expiry AND it needs to have 3 months remaining.

But - contrary to what I first said - you don’t need to add both together ie you don’t need 3 months as of June 2025. You need to be travelling before June 2025 (which you are) and with 3 months left on your passport using the August expiry date (this depends on exactly which dates in May you are going and what date in August your passport expires).

No, less than 10 years from date of issue.

minipie · 27/03/2024 19:00

Sorry yes 10 years from issue of course 🤦‍♀️

MzHz · 27/03/2024 19:04

I’ve just realised that OH passport was issued October 2014, expiry Feb 25.

we’re off to Italy end of June. We need to renew his passport, it’s cutting things a bit fine otherwise.

Original poster
Dogondoolally · 27/03/2024 22:59

Thanks to everyone, so ignore the extra months on passport but make sure you have at least 3 months left (when nearing expiry) if you are travelling.😵‍💫
And guessing kids are fine re the 10yr thing but must have the 3month thing 🤔

OP posts:
viques · 27/03/2024 23:02

spikypinkduvet · 27/03/2024 18:47

It’s stupid the expiry date should be the expiry date and even if you fly with a week left as long as you’re booked to come back before the actual date it should be ok

Tell that to my friend who was stopped flying to Copenhagen, and to add insult to injury the official told him “Shame you weren’t travelling yesterday, you would have been fine”

viques · 27/03/2024 23:03

MzHz · 27/03/2024 19:04

I’ve just realised that OH passport was issued October 2014, expiry Feb 25.

we’re off to Italy end of June. We need to renew his passport, it’s cutting things a bit fine otherwise.

Renew before April 11 th, the price goes up!

Fizbosshoes · 27/03/2024 23:03

I find it really annoying that it's called a 10 year passport but needs to be valid for 6 months beyond travel....so make that 9.5 years...then you need to apply with plenty of time so often it's more like 9 years and 3 months...or 4 years and 3 months for kids!

Fizbosshoes · 27/03/2024 23:06

viques · 27/03/2024 23:02

Tell that to my friend who was stopped flying to Copenhagen, and to add insult to injury the official told him “Shame you weren’t travelling yesterday, you would have been fine”

Show quote history

We booked to go away at the end of 2020. On the return flight DS passport would have been 1 day under the 6 months....so I renewed it with plenty of time.....and then the holiday was cancelled. He didn't end up using it til April last year!

VanGoghsDog · 27/03/2024 23:07

Dogondoolally · 27/03/2024 22:59

Thanks to everyone, so ignore the extra months on passport but make sure you have at least 3 months left (when nearing expiry) if you are travelling.😵‍💫
And guessing kids are fine re the 10yr thing but must have the 3month thing 🤔

But you're fine anyway, your holiday is May 2024, and your passport expires June 2025. It's a year away.

WhatsitWiggle · 27/03/2024 23:11

Fizbosshoes · 27/03/2024 23:03

I find it really annoying that it's called a 10 year passport but needs to be valid for 6 months beyond travel....so make that 9.5 years...then you need to apply with plenty of time so often it's more like 9 years and 3 months...or 4 years and 3 months for kids!

Not all countries need "extra" time. Mexico for example just needs your passport to be valid for the duration of your stay.

Gurlabouttown · 29/03/2024 06:37

I'm confused too. Hopefully going to Norway early June. My passport expires at the end of January 25 and was issued in January 15. Will I be ok? Thanks

Swipe left for the next trending thread