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!

Sorry in my panic at reading everyone's posts i never noticed someone recommending the IATA website. Ive used that and it says ill be ok!

I've made it through check in. Queueing for security. So long as passport has 3 months or more from date you leave the country your holidaying it its absolutely fine

@KirstyEvie

I've made it through check in. Queueing for security. So long as passport has 3 months or more from date you leave the country your holidaying it its absolutely fine

Sounds like you're on your way then!! I really hope 3 months exactly is going to be ok for me.

@KirstyEvie was everything ok for you? x

@KurleyH1 absolutely fine. Got through check in at Leeds. They mentioned passport validity but said as 3 months left it was ok. Tenerife airport didnt even look at it just stamped it. More interested in covid paperwork. You'll be absolutely fine xx

@KirstyEvie excellent, thank you. Enjoy your holiday now! xx

I renewed my passport recently due to this change following Brexit. Previously upon renewing a passport the time remaining was added on to the new one. Not any more so I lost about 5 or 6 months which I feel is a swizz!

Ill have to end up renewing my passport and change my name on my booking (since married) as my passport would be short by one day!! How unlucky is that

Hi - has anyone managed to get through with Ryanair? As an adult? I am flying tomorrow with 5 months left on my passport - everything I had seen lead me to believe it was 3 months needed to enter Spain but it is saying 6 months on check in (which I have just ticked the box for…) My dad is in aviation and he says it is definitely 3 months for Spain, and BA, Iberia and Vueling all support that (IATA website confirms too). But I’m flying with Ryanair! They don’t have the kindest reputation. And I feel they might be tricky with me. So stressed about it! I was so busy checking all my COVID documentation I never even thought my passport would be an issue!

Just to follow up - I have boarded my flight and we are about to take off! Flying Uk passport Manchester to Seville. Expires jan 2022 so 5 months. My return is next week so within 3 months. It was confusing and stressful but I took the risk to try and am glad I did. Nobody even mentioned my passport expiry or anything. Good luck to others!

Is the shorter expiry period specific to Spain? Would France also have the same rules and can anyone advise on where I can check this?

@Greytminds Google fco France travel requirements. Thats what thr airlines are using for requirements. According to that its 3 months for France also

@SB1907 fabulous. Enjoy your holiday x

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

Scroll down to "Passport Validity" on the above link to the Government Advice. Or quoted text copied below:

Make sure your passport is:

• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave Spain, or any other Schengen country
• less than 10 years old

The 3 months you need when leaving a country must be within 10 years of the passport issue date.

If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the minimum 3 months needed.

@SJEJRB

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

Scroll down to "Passport Validity" on the above link to the Government Advice. Or quoted text copied below:

Make sure your passport is:

• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave Spain, or any other Schengen country
• less than 10 years old

The 3 months you need when leaving a country must be within 10 years of the passport issue date.

If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the minimum 3 months needed.

I decided to get a new passport when I read the part about it being 3 months after the day you leave Spain as mine would have been 1 day short. However on the IATA website when I put my details on it said my passport was acceptable.

Hey! I’ve got the same problem coild you please let me know if you got on the plane ok! We are due on holiday in less than 2 weeks my passport is valid until next august but apparently now after gov changed things it’s only valid until Feb which gives me just under 6 months to go to Spain for 7 days ! Please please reply ‘ thanks !

@Rosebarker95 If you read the whole thread there are a few replies from other saying that they did manage to fly successfully

We just got back kids passports expire jan 2022 and we were fine

That makes me feel so much better thank you! Ive felt sick with anxiety over this xx

So glad I found this thread. Thankyou to those who have travelled and then posted that they were fine with 3 months on their passports.

Our son who’s aged 10, is due to fly with us to Lanzarote on Thursday 14th Oct and we have only just discovered that his passport runs out 18th January 2022. We have heard that his passport may need to be valid for a minimum of 6 months and have tried to renew his passport online but as it’s for a child’s passport this is not possible to meet the deadline for flying on 14th October. Again, taking advice it appears that as long as his passport is valid for 3 months from the date of return to the UK that this is fine? However, this means that we are 3 days short, as we have currently have a flight booked back on 21st October. Could our options be to return to the UK earlier on 18th Oct so within the 3 month period, or could we whilst we are in Lanzarote apply for an ‘Emergency Travel Document’ to allow us to stay until 21st October which is when we are due to return?

@DadSimonRC
Your sons passport would have to be valid 3 months after the day you fly back to UK so 22/Jan/22 minimum. Emergency travel document isn't as straight forward for under 16s as adults either from experience. They prefer the child to attend the embassy with both parents to get a document and that depends on appointment availability. It then takes minimum 2 weekdays to receive if straight forward.

@DadSimonRC the embassy will only offer you an appointment once the current passport has completely expired so in your case 19th Oct and therefore 21st return looks very tight I'm afraid.

Heading to Portugal on the 23rd and son’s passport will have 4months and a few days left on it using the issue date. Going with Ryan Air from Manchester… I’m so anxious about it all… will we get on to the plane? We have our boarding cards and have checked in, but we will need to check in a couple of cases… when are the vulnerable times we could get turned away at Manchester? Anxiety is through the roof and I have two weeks to go…. 🥲

@Cal12345 you should be fine for Portugal - look at government website for latest info