To be upset for these families turned back at the airport

[TarasHarp55]

I've just read about another family turned back at the airport because some of the passports weren't valid anymore. I know it's their fault that they hadn't realised they now needed six months more than their expiry but hell we're all human we make mistakes.

This was a family with little children all excited for their holiday, months of saving and preparation. I'd have been tempted to turn a blind eye. I don't think I could bear to refuse them., and hopefully not get into trouble for it. Anyone else feel like this?

It's always been more or less 6 months or more left on your passport in most cases so whilst I do feel sorry for the families the adults should of known.

It’s been absolutely everywhere over social media and the news - there’s not much of an excuse for not knowing at this point

They would have likely been rejected at passport control if allowed on the plane

Its been in the newspapers that often recently, on Facebook, etc, most people must have seen it.

I have a lot of sympathy for those caught up in the passport renewal mess though!

It’s not nice for them but do you expect them to be let into a country with an expired passport? Really?
Glad your job is not border control!

It’s not rocket science

I feel sorry for people who have fallen foul of the added time rule with the EU now.

Turning a blind eye is not an option. It would be completely wrong to let them take their outbound flight. They would just get turned around again when they arrived at their destination with invalid passports (much more upsetting than being sent home from the U.K. airport) and the airline would also incur a massive fine.

Who do you think should turn a blind eye? If the check in staff did and the passengers were refused entry on arrival they would have to be flown home by the airline and the airline fined. The airline stops them travelling if they don’t have the documents required to enter the country but the country receiving them are entitled to enforce their rules. It’s not their fault people can’t be bothered to check they have everything they need for a journey.

It’s a silly thing to be agonising over. It’s not the end of the world (for you especially).

Months of preparation in which time they failed to check their passports. Zero sympathy.

YANBU to feel sorry for them but it's not as simple as "turn a blind eye" the airline can be heavily fined if its picked up by customs at the destination country and the check in staff here didn't do their job properly.

6 months?! I've been reading 3 months and less than 10 years old

For Europe it was never 6 months you needed; just had to be valid for your trip

For Europe now your passport may not expire on the expiry date but up to 9 months earlier depending on whether extra months were added (as it cant be more than 10 years old). It also needs to have 3 months remaining from the newly calculated expiry date (that isn't printed on the passport).

Other countries may ask for 6 months remaining but don't deduct the extra months added.

It's horrible for them, but I have seen so many posts/news items about this - does no-one ever think to check their passports when planning a trip? The new rules about extra months over the 10 years have maybe not been communicated well though.

But it hadn't expired according to the expiry date!

The fault lies with the U.K. government for not making the rules clear post Brexit.

Other countries are perfectly entitled to treat British citizens like they do everyone else who isn't in the EU.

Booking, organising and packing for a holiday, not to mention getting little ones up and out and to the airport on time is stressful. And then theres the huge amounts of money it costs to travel abroad nowadays. So YES I really feel for them.

There's obviously a lack of communication somewhere. Not everyone is glued to their phones all the time and reading every bit of travel news and advice.

Passports being in date is not something you can legally make an exception for unless the traveller is fleeing for their life as an asylum seeker.

Going on holiday? I wouldn’t be tempted to turn a blind eye at all as it would mean immediate sacking and possible prosecution/custodial sentence for facilitating a breach of immigration law. It’s the parents fault the children are disappointed, not the border officials.

As long as you are fine with people from outside the UK being allowed in with passports that don’t meet the eligibility criteria

Exactly.

It's not news, it's not even NEW.

We've always needed 3 or 6mo on our passports to travel (depending on the destination).

To add to the confusion some airlines are asking for 6 months remaining despite the destination country only requiring 3 months remaining

I know someone who was permitted into a country with a completely expired passport. They agreed to take her to the Embassy to get emergency documentation instead of turning her back. Turns out the rules are different for hot teenage girls 🤷‍♀️

Aw i know OP. Id be gutted for them too.
people who have bought fake tickets for a concert and all their pals are going in and theyve to leave. So sad.

i don't understand why theyre even dated if we cant use the last few months?
people miss stuff/get bad advice and told itll be fine. What a shame
IRL im very organised- but am a FTM and had zero clue there was a census.

It has always been more than 3 months remaining on your passport for countries outside the EU. Now we are stupidly no longer in the EU, that rule applies everywhere.

You used to be able to travel within the EU up until the expiry date with no onward plans on how you were returning... I traveled with 3 days left on my passport one time (and renewed it from abroad)