Do you need 6 months Passport validity for travel to Spain?

[SarahL245]

Hi. I am so stressed. We are supposed to be going to Majorca on Friday On a weeks’s package holiday ( me, hubby, a 9 year old and soon to be 5 year old). I have just discovered that my youngests passport is two weeks short of having 6 months Validity. The rest of us are fine as we have 10 year passports. Does anyone Know whether the 6 month rule is strictly enforced or if immigration in Spain may not be bothered as we have a return flight in a week booked and he is only just short of the 6 months? I’d be so grateful for any advice or comments. Thank you!

Yes you do. It says: You must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland). This applies to the whole of Spain, including the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands (Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera).

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/entry-requirements

Thanks so much for replying. I have read online that you may be allowed entry if you have a return flight booked and proof of this (which we do). I wondered how strictly the rule is enforced and if anyone has any experience of this and whether they check exact dates 6 months ahead when you go through immigration.

You have to fill in a passenger advanced information form (API) before travelling to Spain - this has been in place for years. It asks for passport information and so it will be flagged that there's not enough time left on the passport. You may be prevented from travelling by the airline.

They used to check this pretty comprehensively, I’m not sure if they still do but I’d guess so, I can’t imagine Brexit has softened them.

Can you get the five year olds passport redone? I’m not sure if that’s possible for children’s passports.

Hi if your child has a maroon passport with the eu flag on it then they can travel up until the expiry. This is on the gov website. Also we’re just back from Ibiza and brother had a child’s passport with 5 months left. No issues at all with flying either way.

This is from the uk government website

6 months is the U.K. gov ADVICE.

The rules differ from one country to another. I think it's three months for Spain but check!

Some friends were turned away by EasyJet recently and have since discovered that the airlines have interpreted it as a rule and now have to dish out vouchers.

@tintodeverano2

You have to fill in a passenger advanced information form (API) before travelling to Spain - this has been in place for years. It asks for passport information and so it will be flagged that there's not enough time left on the passport. You may be prevented from travelling by the airline.

And they did all this but nothing flagged until they got to boarding the plane.

Check the SPANISH authorities, last week a MNer had a thread where the UK govt site said one thing, and the entry country actually had different rules. Looking on the Spanish govt website it seems it needs to be valid for at least 3mths. But do check.

Thanks so much. I just had a look at the gov website and I understood that section to mean as long as there is enough time ie the 6 months, they can still travel with the maroon one. He died have a maroon UK one that says it is an EU one ( we got it for him in Jan 2017) But I can’t see an EU flag anywhere. I’m just wondering what to do as there is no way of getting a new one in 3 days now and it doesn’t seem very clear whether we can travel. The Spanish website also refers to 3 months. I’m so upset as I’ve been hanging on for this holiday for a year and a half.

I think if Spain says 3 months then you're fine. It's not up to the UK up dictate who can be allowed in to another country.

The thread last week (can't remember title) was similar- the MNer had found 6mths in the UK website but it was wrong. It wasn't Spain though iirc.

Ooh. Thank you so much. Do you mean that the correct position is the destination country ie 3 months ( which is what it says on the Spanish gov website)? I’m just trying to find that thread now....

I have just found the other thread and the Simon Calder article that flagged this up a couple of weeks back. Jet 2 have now apparently confirmed the UK gov website is wrong and it is 3 months for Schengen countries. A big phew of relief and a big thank you to those who replied and helped from me.

Oh my god me too so glad I’ve seen this passport for my son is valid till April 2022 but issued in jan 2017.. so on . Gov website says it expires according to Spain rules the day we travel 31st July!! Ive ring passport office can’t get through and there’s no fast track apps locally I’ve been worrying please keep me posted!! Thank you x

Yes, I think so @SarahL245.
It's shocking really that the govt advice was wrong! (Though tbf, they should probably issue a blanket "we can't comment on other countries' rules" instead of commenting but wrongly!)

I just saw that Spain is looking like it's being put on the Amber list very soon op in case that affects you.

@SarahL245

Hi. I am so stressed. We are supposed to be going to Majorca on Friday On a weeks’s package holiday ( me, hubby, a 9 year old and soon to be 5 year old). I have just discovered that my youngests passport is two weeks short of having 6 months Validity. The rest of us are fine as we have 10 year passports. Does anyone Know whether the 6 month rule is strictly enforced or if immigration in Spain may not be bothered as we have a return flight in a week booked and he is only just short of the 6 months? I’d be so grateful for any advice or comments. Thank you!

Hi did you get to spain ok?

Following with interest! My mum has 5 1/2 months left until expiry and we are due to travel to Spain next week. Did you get to your destination ok?

Your mum will need a new passport. If you go onto the gov.uk website you can enter the dates and the number and they will tell you the last date for travel using the passport. It isn’t the date less 6 months since it also depends on “time added”

We checked DHs last week. It says he has until jan 22 but when you enter the information for his particular passport it shows the last valid day for travel to the EU was February 21 because he hit his passport renewed a few months before it expired last time.

The Spanish website states 3 months validation required. I have read lots of information to suggest the uk government website is not correct. Not a risk I’m wanting to take however unfortunately for my mother there are no fast track appointments available.

Just put your mother’s passport number into the website plus the country you want to travel to and it will tell you the latest date for travel

Unfortunately it does seem that even with 5 1/2 months left in it she won’t be able to travel for her weeks holiday.

Does anyone have a link to the information on the Spanish gov website please? I’m unfortunately in the same position- my daughter’s due to fly with a friend next month and the expiry on her passport is Jun 22 but this must be time added on from her previous, as it was issued in Jan 17. Help!!

I think that would expire jan 22 but use the website to put in her passport number.