- One in 5 (21%) Brits have had to get their passport renewed within a few weeks of travelling.
- And it has been costly for those affected, with people travelling 140 miles and spending £300, on average.
- Less than half (43%) knew that if you’re travelling to the EU, your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before their departure date.
- Confused.com launches a simple tool to check passport validity for any destination.
Thousands of Brits could face disruptions due to post-Brexit passport expiry rules, with many revealing they’ve had to get their passports renewed urgently, new research finds.
New research by Confused.com reveals that 1 in 20 (5%) of Brits have had to miss, cancel or postpone their travels due to an expired passport. And with September found to be the second highest month for travel, following August, this could affect many holiday goers this month. That’s as 9.4 million Brits were recorded to travel abroad in September 2023[1].
Confused.com also found that around 1 in 5 (21%) Brits have had to get their passport renewed within a few weeks of travelling. This has led to many having to book a last-minute trip to renew their passport at an emergency passport office.
And for some, cross country travel was the only way to secure the necessary documents in time for their trip. That’s as the average distance travelled was 140 miles, incurring costs of £300, on average. One in 10 even had to travel up to 300 miles to a last minute appointment. However, while expensive, getting an emergency appointment can minimise disruptions to holiday plans. But those travelling with children could face longer delays. That’s because getting a fast-track appointment for a child’s passport can take as long as a week[2].
But in some cases, people have had to completely change their holiday plans due to their passport being ‘out of date’. And another 3% were turned away at the airport with an invalid passport.
But what is causing this issue? After the vote to leave the EU in 2018, a new rule came in for British passports to be treated as ‘third-country nationals’. That means there are 2 new conditions for UK travellers to the EU and wider Schengen Area. These are that adult passports must be less than 10 years since issue date on the day you depart. As well as this, there must be at least 3 months until the expiry date on the day you intend to return home.
It seems Brits are still struggling to get their heads around the post-Brexit passport rules. That’s as almost 1 in 3 (31%) said they find the passport validity dates to be more confusing since we left the EU.
Travel Expert, Simon Calder, estimates over 100,000 will face holiday disruption a year. He says:
“I urge anyone planning to travel to Europe in the coming year to check their passport dates now. You might appear to have months of validity left, but I’ve heard many sad stories from holidaymakers who have had their dream trip ruined because they didn’t know about the ’10-year rule.’
“The other big problem is with kids’ passports: while they all comply with the 10-year rule, due to being issued for a maximum of 5 years and 9 months, the expiry date comes around all too quickly. And now you need at least 3 months left on the day you intend to come home.”
One holidaymaker who was forced to travel across the UK was Carolyn Pellatt, 57, who faced a 1000 mile round trip between Southampton and Glasgow on her birthday. After checking her passport validity 5 days before her trip, she noticed that while the expiry date was fine, the ‘valid from’ date was too late under the new post-Brexit rules. When booking an emergency passport appointment, the only appointment available in the UK was in Glasgow. Carolyn added:
“I had to miss a day of work and spend £200 on train travel, not to mention the cost of an emergency passport. While I’m grateful that I thought to check before heading on my holiday, I wish the rules were clearer so others like me didn’t have to spend their birthday travelling cross-country.”
Overall, the research also found that awareness of passport rules was low. That’s as almost 2 in 5 (38%) were unaware that the minimum requirement of passport validity depends on the country you’re travelling to. Less than half (43%) knew that if you’re travelling to the EU, your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before their departure date. And more than 1 in 10 (13%) were not aware that every airline also has different allowances on passport validity per destination.
With over 1 in 4 (26%) wishing it were easier to find the rules about passport validity, Confused.com has launched a new tool to help travellers navigate these often tricky requirements. The online calculator allows users to select their destination country and input their passport’s expiration date. It will then instantly provide information on whether their passport meets the necessary validity criteria.
It's a simple yet crucial step that can save travellers from potential headaches at the airport. It can also help Brits avoid the pitfalls that have left many stranded, forced to cancel their trips and left hugely out of pocket.
You won’t be able to make any claims on your travel insurance for any missed flights, accommodation or other costs because of an expired passport either. Alvaro Iturmendi, travel insurance expert at Confused.com comments:
“Before any trip, it’s absolutely crucial to check your passport’s validity well in advance. Failing to do this could mean you’re denied entry into the country, or may not even be allowed on the flight in the first place. Either way, it’s likely to lead to a lot of disruption to your holiday plans.
“An emergency passport could cost up to £207 depending on its urgency. And with time taken off work last minute and travel costs to visit a passport office, this could become costly and time consuming. This is especially true if you need to visit an office far from home. And unfortunately, travel insurance will not cover the cost of last minute travel for an emergency passport, nor for any missed flights or holidays. You should always double-check your passport’s expiration date as soon as you start planning your trip, and leave yourself ample time to renew it if needed. By using our passport checker, you can save a great deal of time, money, and stress.”
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