Passport Expiry for Travel into EU (Austria)

[jpbee]

Has anyone travelled into Austria or another EU country since we left the EU with a close to expiry passport?

The facts so far are:

• The passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you fly home.
• The passport must have 3 months until expiry on the day you fly home.

We fly home 13 Feb, and the passport has 10 years 4 months total duration:
Issued: 24 Feb 2012
Expires: 24 Jun 2022

But the official website states that they are awaiting clarity on whether the 3 months will also take into account whether you received the passport early (therefore the passport above would actually have only been suitable until 24 Nov 2021).

Is it likely we would be declined entry into Austria on the above basis, or would they not do this considering the point has not been clarified yet?

The maximum passport duration now is 10 years. Any extra months you have on for renewing early do not count. So if you take the 3 months into account to travel in Feb, your passport would no longer be valid from 24th November 2021 for travel to the EU. A lot of people have been caught out by this and turned away at the airport etc. Double check it is only 3 months for Austria as a lot of countries require 6 months validity. Either way - you need to renew your passport.

I'm not sure about the clarification - this is already a requirement.

Agree - get the passport sorted asap. There are so many moving parts travelling these days and this is one within your gift to sort out now, so why make it harder?

@MissAmbrosia @abricotine Thank you for the clarification. We have booked an appointment at our closest passport office for this weekend to have a fast track renewal completed.

I just wanted to be sure I hadn't misunderstood as it will cost over £100 more than a standard passport renewal but you're right it isn't worth the risk.

Most people I have spoken to have no idea of this detail, but I suppose with travel limited it probably hasn't come up very often. Even the Austrian Embassy were vague and told me it 'may' cause an issue..

It was only after reading about a situation here on MN about a husband and children being waved through at passport control and the mum being turned away due to the same passport issue. That prompted me to check ours and though they weren't due to expire until next summer they didn't actually have a full 10 years from issue, as of last September. We were able to rectify it this just in time prior to a visit to Malta. Extra months are not not valid and some countries do need a clear 6 months at the date of travel so they may as well call it a 9.5 year passport. We also had an emergency appointment but you can make it a little quicker by uploading all the necessary info and photos first. Unfortunately it was an additional £100 each.

The extra months no longer count. It is 10 years from date of issue.

They can and will refuse travel based on this. It's already happened, including to a poster on MN if I remember right.

@TheDogsMother Thanks for sharing this. I'm glad you managed to sort it in time, it's a good job there is a fast track option or we would be cancelling. I've noticed the online premium option you've mentioned so we're going to do that.

@Abraxan I must have missed that thread, I imagine awareness will increase in time, especially when travel becomes more accessible again. I'm telling everyone I know to save them a similar drama!

There’s a passport checker online

You need 6 months on now too on top of the 10 year rule

@Watapalava

There’s a passport checker online

You need 6 months on now too on top of the 10 year rule

I don't think that's right. Here's what the Austrian Embassy is saying:

• have at least 3 months left from the date you intend to leave the EU. Nevertheless, it is strongly recommended, that your passport is valid for at least 6 more months when entering Austria. This would in many cases save you from having to proof the date of your intended leave of the EU,

• be less than 10 years old (even if it has six months or more left).

Mine is March 2023 exp
So I can’t use it to travel from Sept 2022
I’ve just paid £177 for a same day appointment next week to get a new passport as I’m going to Tenerife in Feb
I’m probably just within the limit by days but I’m not going to risk it

The hardest bit is getting a bloody new passport photo
In the end I used one of those photo booths that gives you 10 chances to pick a photo and thankfully it was acceptable by the passport office 😂
You can’t complete the application form without a picture 😂

As mentioned above, it’s 10 years from date of issue. To enter Schengen countries passport must be less than 10 years old and you need at least 3 months validity from the date you return: the EC needs to provide some clarification as some countries insist on at least 6 months validity, which effectively renders a 10 year passport invalid after 9.5 years.

We are due to go to France at Easter, and my passport was issued in May 2012 so doesn’t have the required 3 months after our return. I renewed it online - it was dead easy and I sent off the old one a week ago. Received an email yesterday to say they had received and approved the application and another today to say the new one is on its way, so the renewal process has been very quick. Also used a photo booth which gives you a code so you can upload your photo with the application - it was very straightforward.

My friend recently got refused check in at the airport as her passport technically had enough time on it but as she renewed early and it had "extra" months on it she couldn't use it.
So the extension is useless when travelling.

@Hippychicken1 We took photos using an iPad against a white wall, cropped and uploaded. It worked ok. The downside is I have to live with that amateur photo for the next 10 years