Red passport - help!

[plard]

I have a red passport.
issue date 17/06/2016
expiry 17/02/2027

im travelling to Greece 7th May to 14th May this year.

is my passport valid? I can’t find a definitive answer.

the rules as I understand them are your passport must be less than 10 years old on entry. Mine will be - just. And you must have at least 3 months left on your passport at time of exit.
I do if my actual expiry date is valid and isn’t reset to the 10 year point.

Correct, they are two different rules so your passport is valid, as you say, just!

No, it has to be issued in the last 10 years for Europe/schengen area. Depends where you are going?

At least you have realised in time, though I’d probably not trust a normal renewal at this stage. I’d do express. I hadn’t read the dates properly… sorry!

https://www.tui.co.uk/passport-checker

This does all the checks for you.

The passport has been issued in the last 10 years.

I put your details into a passport checker and it looks like you’re ok but if I were you I’d be checking and double checking on different sites

If you do decide on a new one, I did a renewal last week and got mine back within 4 days of them receiving my old passport. Old passport received by them Mon 20th, new one came in the post on Thurs 23rd. I guess it depends how relaxed you are!

No way would I risk that - get a new one even if it means queuing. Not least because the fact it’s so marginal means there’s a risk airline staff might deny you boarding even if technically you’re ok. Not worth the risk.

Here you go from the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/greece/entry-requirements

You are okay for this holiday.

issue date 17/06/2016
expiry 17/02/2027

10 years from issue date is 17/06/2026 so it will be under 10 years old when you enter Greece on 07/05/2026 ✅️

Expiry is 17/02/2027 so it will have at least 3 months remaining when you leave Greece on 14/05/2026 ✅️

Your passport is valid for your holiday

Based on the fcdo info you are correct (the three months don’t need to be within the 10 year period). But I’d check the Greek government website to make sure.

Why post like this? It's already been established that the OP's passport is good for her May holiday and all you're doing is sowing seeds of doubt unnecessarily.

Because that is exactly what I would do. It’s the Greek immigration authorities who decide whether her passport is good not the FCDO or randoms on the internet.

Yes and her passport meets those rules. Why so anxious? She didnt ask what paranoid travellers would do, she asked the rules and whether her passport met them. It does.

Yes your passport is fine. We had this with DHs passport last year. It needs to fulfil both conditions (be issued less than 10 years ago, have at least 3 months left) but they are separate rules, so the 3 months don't need to be within the 10 years.

You will be fine but need to renew after this holiday if you want to travel again.

Let's hope @Marmalade71 and @Thelondonone aren't passport officers or anything else similarly important.

OP your passport is valid for your trip and if it makes you feel any better the last time I used my old red passport to enter the EU it was 9 years 11.5 months old and it was fine.

I wouldn’t risk it I’ve heard of people being refused because it was less than 6 months in date. It should be fairly quick to do a replacement.