Travelling to EU with passport between 9 years 9 months and 10 years old

[AdeptBiscuit]

Hi all, First time poster here but long time lurker… I am travelling the Spain with EasyJet next week, returning the week after. My passport was issued in March 2016 so it is less than ten years old. My passport expires in September 2026 (as remaining time was added from my previous passport when I renewed it) therefore it is valid for more than three months after I return. I have checked the government guidance extensively and am certain that my passport fulfils the requirements for travel so my question is not about this.

However, I know that in the past people have been wrongly denied boarding by the airline in the same situation because the airline has erroneously said that if a passport is more than 9 years 9 months old it is not valid for travel. These reports are from around a year ago and the government guidance has since been clarified.

I would like to know if anyone has recent experience of travelling with a passport which is between 9 years and 9 months and 10 years old with extended expiry date? Did they experience any difficulties with boarding or was it ok?

(I would like to avoid spending the additional money for an urgent renewal if possible but will do if needed).

Thanks!

OP I've just remembered I went to Spain in November when my passport was 9 years and 10 months old and there was no issue except the incoming UK border agent incorrectly told me it expired in January.

While this may effectively be true for EU travel, its not universal and can be used for travel to some other countries until September 2026.

My brain literally fries when I read this info so could I check the following: passport issued May 2016. Expires Nov 2026. Fly to France 15 March 2026. Back 2 April 2026.

i think passport is ok. DH does not?!

Of course it's OK, why wouldn't it be? Ask your DH to show his working, which will be wrong. He can use the Tui passport checker if he's unsure.

@OhCobblers
Issue date: May 2016 (10 years old on May 2026). Expiry Nov 2026

Date of travel into EU is 15 March 2026 so passport is under 10 years old ✔️
Date you leave EU is 2nd April 2026. As expiry date is November 2026 you have 3 months remaining so passport is valid ✔️

Assuming that you're travelling to the EU or Schengen area:

From the UK Government website:
Passport validity requirements
Your passport must:

• have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago
• have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)

You travel on 15th March 2026. Was your passport issued after 15th March 2016? Yes, it was issued in May 2016 - so it fulfills the first (10-year) requirement.

You return on 2nd April 2026. Is the expiry date printed on your passport later than 2nd July 2026? Yes, it expires November 2026 - so it fulfills the second (3-months validity after leaving Schengen) requirement.

Your passport is valid for this trip.

My partner and I travelled in October where he had 5 days ‘left’ and we went for a 3 day trip.
The gate check pre boarding was the only ‘challenge’ we had. They did a double take when looking at the dates and we had to prove that we had return flight and there was a bit of counting on fingers from them. Passport control in Portugal were fine as we didn’t bother with the gates and had the copy of the return boarding pass to show.
Hope that helps.

Hi all, Just a quick update - travelled to Spain with no issues at any point. No one looked twice at the dates on my passport. I appreciate all the replies to my post, thanks all.