To do my civic duty and say for the love of God check yours and your family’s passports weeks before you go on holiday

[iminmemamscar]

I’ve had 2 friends recently that couldn’t go on their booked holidays because of passport rules (e.g time left on passport), one of whom had got to the gate at the airport and only then was told. He thought he had 6 months left so would be fine, but if flying to the EU you need 10 years from the start date, and his passport was 10 years 6 months from the start date. Every year on MN there’s posts asking for help regarding issues like this - leading to huge amount of anxiety and, often, crushing disappointment
So please, check your passports and the passport rules of the country you’re visiting!

You are acting morally superior because you only consume news via radio. Stop it, you are embarrassing yourself.

It's been widely mentioned for many years.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyp74883lpo

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2025/05/martin-lewis-passport-checks/

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/jan/29/uk-travellers-could-the-new-brexit-rules-catch-you-out

Are these sources acceptable?

I have a passport where the expiry date is March 2027 and the 10 year date is September 2026. I have received absolutely nothing from HMPO.

I’m on top of it (I’m renewing shortly) but if I hadn’t already known, I’d have had exactly this problem this Christmas (overseas trip planned).

Of course not don’t be silly, I don’t use those news apps so they why would I see it. People are ranting because I said thanks to the op. There’s no prize for reading it in the Guardian v a mumsnet thread. Who cares?

It’s still useful info for people on here or wherever.

They let me take mine in - just no aerosols.

All this 'everyone should know' versus 'I didn't hear anything about it' reminds me of the whole WASPI women thing.

I heard about the change but struggle to get my head around it and am very glad it will soon cease to be an issue.

Wrong thread?

I’ve got a really revolutionary idea.

Imagine if the expiry date on a passport was just that, an expiry date! And you could use it up until that date. No mentally calculating whether you have 6 months or 3 months left and having to find out which county requires what, and whether they’re likely to enforce it. No paying for a 10 year passport which actually only lasts 9.5 years.

Why on earth isn’t it like that?!?

I know three sets of people who’ve been caught out by it being only 5 years for children, this year alone.

Sorry. You are right and you wasn't rude or anything.

But it HAS been widely mentioned, people just choose ignorance I suppose.

I think this all the time.

Maybe it's to stop people getting 'stuck' on purpose by claiming they didn't know it was expiring soon.

Not everyone will have received if different phone number etc but you barely got a week without seeing someone affected by this. My mum had no idea and I was surprised as been so much about this post Brexit in the press, and on here.

Maybe it has. Fortunately mn is pretty good at this kind of thing and it’s really not bad if a thread like this saves someone’s holiday.

Because different countries entry clearances are different. Its not hard in the days of internet / AI to check entry requirements and to check your passport. The amount of people who leave it last minute is crazy. I couldn’t be that laid back when spending that kind of money that a holiday costs these days.

I’ve had the same phone number for 20 years and still heard nothing. I don’t know how they decide who gets texted and who doesn’t, but it can’t be based on the phone number.

No text here but sounds like a good idea.

And whilst you're at it go and locate your passport when booking your holiday and put it in a sensible place eg your suitcase.

Not quite
You can enter the EU up until 25/01/2027 as your passport would be under 10 years old on that date. You would need to leave the EU 3 months before the printed expiry date so by 26/03/2027 (3 months before 26/06/2027)

The 2 rules are independent of each other

Our passports and GHIC cards live in a plastic folder to keep them all together and safe

Every country has a right to decide who they let in and under what conditions. All the travel registrations including the UK ETA are part of that.

Having foreigners with "invalid passport" in your land is a problem, effectively it means people with "no passport". The UK maybe doesn't care that much, but in countries with ID cards tradition, an invalid national ID is an issue as well, you lose access to many services until you get a valid one, you can get a fine, your path to a new one might be harder. All because out of date ID doesn't count as an ID.

Many peole overstay the intended dates - change of plans, illness, cancelled flights, flat tire. If the passport was accepted until the last date, it would mean an influx in number of people without valid documents. No one would be able to distinguish accidents from intentions. No one wants that.

Not a scooby about this 10 year EU rule - the news passed me by. My passport is burgundy I think, so must be coming up for renewal soon. I would have just subtracted X months from the expiry, though I usually travel outside EU.

Thanks for the heads up, OP!

Dh and I have burgundy ones that dont expire until 2029.

I'm guessing you don't read many newspaper articles as I've seen this happen to many people.

I'm going to Italy with the kids returning on 22 August which is 5 months before my passport expires. The kids passports expire in November 27 so they are OK and I just had 2027 in my head to renew all our passports. I'm wondering whether to just renew it but I'll waste 5 months off my old passport when I doubt I'll be going away again for at least a year. I know it's 3 months in the EU but I'm still a bit nervous about it now! We are all within the 10 year thing because I never bother renewing them early.

Edited to say: I didn’t read your post properly, sorry.

No it's all depends on where you are going

Some countries require 3 months - the EU but your passport must be less than 10 years old and have 3 months remaining

Turkey is 150 days

Dubai 6 months

Thailand 6 months etc

USA passport must be valid for duration of your trip

The .gov website has a 'profile' for every country

The passport checker on TUI really good too