HELP! Flying out tomorrow ,passport expires in July 2026

[Potterxoxo]

Hi all,

Bit of a panic here and hoping someone has been through something similar.
Just realised my 6 year old’s British passport expires July 2026 and we’re flying to Albania tomorrow from London, coming back on 13 June 2026.

I’ve read that Albania needs 3 months validity left after you leave and now I’m worried we might not be allowed to travel.

Has anyone actually been in this situation? Did you get stopped at check in or were you still allowed to go?
I’m just trying to work out how strict this really is in real life,a part of me hopes miraculously they will let us through.
Any experiences would really help !

Not me, but a family I know weren't allowed to travel when one of them didn't have enough time left on their passport.

Sorry.

I think they are pretty strict. Sorry

Sorry OP. But you aren't going tomorrow.

What would be the point of a requirement (which has been publicised for years now) if it can just be ignored?

You won’t be allowed to travel. The system will flag it when you try to leave the country and you won’t be able to go through. It’s caught several people that I know out, especially with children’s passports.

I once had an argument with an employee at the gate who insisted my passport didn’t have enough time left. She was wrong (she claimed I needed 6 months when I knew I needed 5 months for the country I was going to) and after she called someone more senior she very begrudgingly let me on the plane (her face suggested she seemed to be getting some sort of joy by thinking she could stop me from travelling).

But if she was actually right, then she would have stopped me from me travelling over the sake of being two seeks short of 6 months. So they are really strict on this at the gate so there is a real possibility your child won’t be able to fly.

Does Albania possibly have different rules for
children?

That’s only 2 months validity, I doubt you’ll be allowed to travel. Did you not think to check the passports before booking? It always astonishes me that people don’t make sure they have plenty validity on their passports before booking.

Per my Google search Albania doesn’t have different rules for children .
I saw a few videos on social media about people that were allowed to fly even though technically they shouldn’t have been allowed to . Should I accept that we are not travelling or try anyway and see how it goes tomorrow ?
So much preparation and effort has gone into this trip ,feeling gutted right now !

I did not check because I thought like adults ,kids passports are also valid for 10 years . I know! I feel so stupid right now !

The problem is if you’re allowed to fly (which I doubt with the short amount of time left on the passport) what will happen if you can’t fly back? I honestly wouldn’t trust what you see on social media, have you called the airline? It may save you actually going to airport and having to deal with disappointed children at the check in desk.

We couldn’t check my DH in online for our flight to Albania with BA a few years ago as not enough time left on his passport for the return trip. Do you have online check in available? Might be worth seeing if you can check in and if not save a trip to the airport. We changed flights and DH got a new passport.

Tried to call the airline but their phone lines are closed till 8 am tomorrow.
Haven’t even thought about our flight back ,I guess they wouldn’t deny us entry in our own country .
I am a foolish optimist,I know the kids will be disappointed but can’t help but think that there is a slight possibility that we might be allowed in.
Will call the airline first thing tomorrow.

I did attempt to check my daughter in and her details weren’t saved whereas mine and son’s got registered. I guess thats a strong indicator that the same will happen at the desk

Your best bet might be to delay your departure and apply for a fast track passport renewal for your child. With a bit of luck this could take a couple of days. Then see if you can book another flight out and catch the original return flight back maybe?

A friend got stopped at the gate for the same reason. She had to get an appointment at the passport office two days later in i believe Belfast. She then joined her husband and dc a few days later.

They are strict OP, I’m afraid you won’t be going tomorrow 😢

Your best bet would be to try and move the flights and get an emergency appointment at the passport office if one is available.

Social media isnt the real world.

You are very lucky if you get to travel to Albania without +3 months on your passport.

Ah well, your 6 year old will just have to go to school instead for the two weeks of school you were planning on missing before and after half term.

You have time to sort a new passport to salvage some of your trip, but you will have to leave in half term like everyone else (there is no 24 hour service for children's passport).

The reason they don't let you fly is because when you get there, immigration won't let you in and then you somehow have to be returned back to the UK. If the flight is full or there is no flight then it won't be very nice for you. In some countries immigration are a bit flexible or officials can be paid to overlook this kind of thing, but that is pretty rare and most stick to the rules very firmly.

Lots of assumptions being made in the first section of your post.

This is rubbish, but even if you managed to fly would you not spend the entire holiday worrying about coming back? I don’t think it would be worth it.

Really? OP is asking about UK passports and says in her replies the trip is planned from today to 13th June.

Childrens passports take a week to renew unfortunately. (Child protection rules).

Could be home schooled, in private education that have different / longer holidays.