To not have realised that you only need 3 months left on passport for a lot of countries.

[IcedupTulip]

There’s me racing around to get photos etc as we only have 6 months left on our passports (from when we’d get back) and seems like a lot of countries actually only require 3 months left from when you arrive home.

Think I’ve saved myself a job! 🤣

Some countries it just needs to be valid, can use it until the day before it expires

Have you checked that you've got 3 months from the start date of the passport? (not the expiry date)

Wish it was like that for all countries! Well we’re going to Spain / Cyprus/ Greece or somewhere so will only need 3 months.

so glad not to have to run around and get passports done. That can be next years job!

Always worth checking the rules of each country.

Years ago I flew to Turkey with less than 6 months left on my passport, but more than 5. Turkey visa rules required a minimum of 5 (or whatever the dates were). The boarding staff lady at the airport was determined to stop me from flying even though I and whoever she called told her it’s fine. After a couple more phone calls, she let me on the plane. Think she wanted the satisfaction of stopping a passenger from boarding as she kept saying on the phone “I have to refuse boarding don’t I?”. It was a last minute trip but showed me the importance of knowing the relevant rules yourself!

What do you mean? The issue dates are feb / March 2020. (Child’s passport)

As a pp has said, it's not the expiry date you need to watch, it's the start date. They used to add extra months on if you renewed early but those months are no longer valid..

Brexit causing so many unnecessary issues

Ah yes. They are children’s passports so only valid for 5 years anyway so that’s fine.

mine is one to watch though as issued in feb 17 and expires Nov 27 so I think I have to count the expiry date as feb 27 not the November.

From everything I've seen online (but I'm not in the UK so I couldn't misunderstand) it's the issue date you need to be aware of with UK passports now, the extra months that were added on if you applied for a new passport early are irrelevant in the EU. So if you passport were issued in Dec 2013 it's now not accepted even if the expiry date on it is March 2024 say
A first passport issued in 2020 isn't going to have that issue though

When you renewed passports pre Brexit they used to add on any unexpired months to your passport if you renewed it earlier than expiry. Since Brexit, EU countries won't accept passports which have longer than 10 years on them (not sure if the same rule applies for 5 year children's passports). So on an adult passport you count 10 years from the issue date of the passport then subtract 3 months to ensure you meet the country's entry requirements.

Yep, it's crazy complicated. My DSis, BIL and their kids were turned away from the airport when travelling somewhere recently because, although her passport had more than 6 months until the expiry, it had been more than 10 years since the issue date.

Had flights rebooked by airline for free for the following week, but cost hundreds more in accommodation due to half term ($$$).

Yeah. That’s so unfair. Must have been awful to be turned away. Especially with kids.

I've got a work trip to somewhere that requires 6 months left...

I've got 2 passports, though, probably will just use the one with longer life, phew.

Utter nonsense. You really shouldn’t talk about things on a public forum as if espousing fact when, actually, you don’t understand it.

The validity of a passport for entry to countries in the EU and Schengen area has two elements; the start date and the expiry date. As per the gov.uk website;

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’

It is, however, always advisable to check the specific guidance for the country you’re due to travel to. And not Mumsnet.

Of course. I have checked (Spain / Greece / Cyprus or France ) and all need 3 months before expiry date.

I was just pleasantly surprised as it saved me a job.

Great stuff! Enjoy your holiday. And I agree, it’s a nice surprise.

I got confused with it all as a family member was adamant (as some posters on MN often are) that I needed 3 months counting back from the issue date which wouldn’t made my current passport invalid (issued July ‘14, expires Sept ‘24 and I’m travelling to EU in May). Thankfully, my relative was wrong and a new passport wasn’t another expense to pay for this year!