To shout at everyont to CHECK YOUR PASSPORT ISSUE DATE!! Not the expiry date...

[FusionChefGeoff]

I used to work in travel for fucks sake.

Both DH and my passports are not valid for our upcoming holiday to France as they are issued more than 10 years ago as of last week. They are both 'in date' if you look at the expiry date - but I completely forgot / missed the fact that doesn't matter any more.

Your passport MUST be less thatn 10 years old based on the issue date for you to travel to the EU.

Luckily, I can go to Peterborough on Monday and there are appointments for a 1 day service but fuck me £450 for 2 passports.....

Thank God I checked today and not the day before we leave.

Jesus I am still shaking. Hope I can help someone else avoid a holiday disaster with this public safety warning.

Actually, many rules for the Swiss, all of which they negotiated with the EU over many years in a patchwork of trade agreements. We might get there in 20 years or so.

We are not worthy to have such a perfect person condescending to communicate with us. Many, many apologies for not all being as clever and sophisticated as you and 'everyone you know'.

How on earth does everyone not know this now. It's been all over the news and there have been a thousand or so MN threads

Sorry, please explain to me like a 5 year old.

My passport was issued in October 2016. Can I still go to Spain this month? According to my calculations, I can.

Thanks in advance.

Huge thanks OP as you’ve made me go and check all ours, and while they’re all ok date-wise, DH’s has a rip on the inside of the cover somehow, so now need to sort him an urgent appointment at the passport office early next week!

The passport is less than 10 years old.

Whether it is valid for your trip depends on the exact expiry date and the date of your trip.

Well, my passport expired by two days (not valid) last year. The Czech embassy here treated me as a stateless lout, had to practically beg for a new one to be issued (which it obviously was) and at the end they said "you won't let this happen again then, will you?" 😁
(I'm 46, a Czech citizen and forgot by two days).

We fly on 27th July 2025. Passport expires October 2026.

I mistead it as Oct 2025... you've got a a year left!

This has been known for so long now surely? I put a reminder in my phone 1yr before mine expired and changed it early.

The superior and arrogant attitude of some people on here is stunning at times.

👍

I did update.my passport last week. Did online Saturday and did was sent to.me by the Wednesday so very quick turnaround.

I think it would have been very wrong of the EU to give the UK some of the benefits of membership after 52% of voters basically told them to fuck off.
Expecting that is a bit like cancelling your gym subscription and expecting to be allowed to use the pool but not the other facilities.

Of course, Cameron was a complete idiot in calling the referendum, and an even bigger idiot in not making it a two-stage process. If there had been a referendum on the principle, and a second referendum on whether to leave on the terms negotiated, the UK would never have left.

its not them making it difficult, it’s us making poor choices.

How have you managed to miss the weekly sad face articles ever week of the summer for the past numerous years 😂

If 15 months is more than 3 months you're gos to go 😁

I've never seen any of those articles

It obviously hasn't....

They are treating the UK the same as any other third nation for passport purposes. Do you think they should do something different?

https://mybritishpassport.com/uk-passport-checker/

I had no idea thank you

Thank you for reminding people; I’ve lost count of how many posts and articles I’ve read about people being caught out.

Some people are so rude; how is it helpful just to come on and say you can’t believe that people don’t know this by now - what’s the point? There are still many people not aware of this - maybe they only go abroad once in a blue moon and don’t pay attention to passport news.

No
They are separate requirements

On date of entry into EU the passport needs to be less than 10 years old - look at issue date and add 10 years

On the date you leave the EU your need 3 months remaining - look at printed expiry date.

I'm genuinely surprised that anyone who has a passport has managed to miss all of the millions of different ways this has been public knowledge for years