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!

We go Friday and have the same issue. We checked and checked and it all said 3 months and now we find out Ryanair want 6 months. We aren’t sure what to do.

I’ve managed to get a 7 day fast track appt at the passport office.. went on every hour checking then one turned up! Praying it’s back by next Thursday as we go on the Saturday or my son and his dad aren’t going! Bloody nightmare…. Then they questioned if his fringe was too long on the photos… aggh!

With Brexit you need a over a year left now. My sister in law was turned away at the airport as her passport expired in 2022.

How did it go? Did they let you fly?

@DadSimonRC

Il going next Saturday… passport due on Thursday… it’s a tight turn around.. haven’t heard from them so hoping photos are ok.. the holiday better be worth the stress of all this as the build up enjoyment has definitely gone!

Yep, out in Lanzarote at the moment. We’ll just have to see what happens on the way back!!!

All went fine with recent trip to Lanzarote, but a bit stressful at times but no one ever mentioned anything about my sons passport either on the way out or coming back! Mostly concerned with all the Covid paperwork, but wouldn't want to risk it again and will certainly be renewing his passport this week. To confirm, when flying to Spain it's a minimum of 3 months left on the passport on the date that you LEAVE, so technically his passport was invalid for only 3 days. I took the decision to buy a low cost return ticket before we left the UK so that I could prove if need be that we were flying back early to stay within the 3 month stipulation, but as we weren't checked I then moved it to use at another time.

Hi, has anyone travelled with Tui with this issue? They’re telling me they recommend 3 months but follow government advice! My one daughters passport is due to expire April 2022 and we planned on flying next week 2nd November for 1 week due to our Morocco holiday being cancelled 😞 but I’m stressed about this 6 month 3 month rule! I even emailed Spanish consulate who state 3 months but I don’t want to get to East Midlands and her to be denied! Thanks

Sorry above comment meant they recommend 6 months

It’s 3 months, not 6, see below:

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

Passport validity
Check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip, and renew your passport if you do not have enough time left on it.

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.

We flew out with RyanAir on Wednesday to Tenerife… only 5 months left on passport… was absolutely fine, not mentioned once

Thanks for replying I have just rang the airport and spoke to border control and he said I'd be fine according to him but then I might not see him on the day and someone else might see it differently! I really don't know what to do. My husband's saying chance it

Hello , I checked Spain’s entry requirements and they said I need 3 months on my passport, I have gone to check in and they Ryan air are asking me to tick a box saying I have 6 months , if I do then I will be lying

I want to fly on 1st April 2022 and fly back on 8th April 2022 my passport expires 17th September 2022 ( issued 17th September 2012)

I have looked into making an appointment to get a new passport but there are non abvaible until the 4th April

Can you just show up at the passport office now ?

Very stressed got two little boys very excited for this holiday which has already been cancelled twice !

Will Ryan air stop me flying? I will ring Ryan air tomorrow, no one is answering either on the chatbot or phone right now

Thank you

Anyone travelled with 5 months left on passport recently , Ryan air going Birmingham to fuetventura
Very worried any advice would be appreciated thank you