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!

www.exteriores.gob.es/portal/en/serviciosalciudadano/informacionparaextranjeros/paginas/requisitosdeentrada.aspx

This is the Spanish gov website - seems to say 3 months is fine, but I’d be tempted to email them and see if you can have it confirmed in writing.

www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe

This is the link you need. The rules changed in January 2021.

I would never risk it. My email was turned away at the boarding gate two years ago because one of the pages of her passport (not even the one with all the info) was slightly torn)

My DM not my email

I would suggest getting a one week fast track renewal to collect from the passport office. Currently my mum is able to collect a renewal passport in a few weeks time but it’s costly! Approximately £170! If you go onto the Spanish government website it does indeed state 3 months need to be left on the passport however our government website clearly states 6 and the airline will be adhering to these rules it seems. I spent hours yesterday trying to sort this out for my mum.

I can’t renew as she’s now 16 and needs her first adult passport so it can’t be done on the fast track 😩

@HasaDigaEebowai

www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe

This is the link you need. The rules changed in January 2021.

I would never risk it. My email was turned away at the boarding gate two years ago because one of the pages of her passport (not even the one with all the info) was slightly torn)

Unfortunately, when you click ‘start now’ it tells you the service is unavailable - been trying it all day 😔

You could apply for a new passport and hope for the best. Not ideal but I’ve done this before and had it posted back to me within a couple of weeks (using a non fast track premium service) I believe I had to provide information for someone to countersign online that they know the applicant, the nominated person responded via email very quickly and the application was processed fairly quickly.

*This was for my daughters renewal passport.

You would at the very least be able to track the progress online using the reference number to keep updated with the application?

For anyone in the same boat. The uk passport checker is wrong and has been removed.
apple.news/AAFGvVGOFRZazZ9qr9-Yb_A
Article in the inpendent today by Simon Calder if you can’t access the link!!

I can’t believe this! My mother’s passport was valid then? She applied for a new one yesterday and posted her old one of first thing this morning. Gutted she has lost a holiday because of this

I have been panicking cause I fly Saturday and my sons I thought was out of date, if you can get hold of the article I think people are talking about going after the government for losses!! I’m so sorry to hear that about your Mum.

That article says the error was that extra months are subtracted for adults (because other countries don’t recognise passports for longer than ten years) and the system did the same for children. The result was that the dates on some children’s passports were given incorrectly, it doesn’t say there was any error in adult passports.

apple.news/AAFGvVGOFRZazZ9qr9-Yb_A

Hi did you manage to get to Spain? I’m going next month and have the same issue with my daughters passport, hers is 11 days out of being 6 months!

Hi - I'm travelling next week to Spain - my son's passport is valid until 19/12/21 and we leave spain on the 20th August - everywhere ive read from the Spanish side says that as long as 3 months validity from return date is ok - however on the UK side says we need 6 months validity - we are travelling Easyjet and im worried they wont let him on? Anyone got any recent experiences? Will they let him board in UK?

I am in same position travelling Sat next week sons passport just has less than 6 months on Spain says on when u look at their guidance on travelling just not sure about UK as they state advice for 6 months so worried about it?

When I completed the declaration form to enter Spain I had to tick a box to confirm my passport had 6 months left. Unfortunately my mother was unable to travel as she had 5 1/2 months left on hers.

Did any 1 find out about this as I fly in a couple of weeks and no worried

You need 6 months you will not be allowed in otherwise.

Did you manage to get any information, I've phoned easyjet passport office and can't get an answer from either

When you check in with your flight you check a box to confirm you have six months left on your passport

OK so this is what I've just seen : www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/passport-child-holiday-europe-valid-b1891518.html

Can you try easyJet live chat?