If you’re planning on going on a summer break abroad this year, Martin Lewis’s team have issued a warning for you.
The team has warned that not only should you check that your passport doesn’t need to be renewed but also that it’s valid for the country you’re visiting. This is because many countries have laws for how long you can have left on the passport in order to visit and how old the passport is. Since Brexit, this includes some EU countries, too.
The expert added, “If you fall foul of these, you could be refused entry – we’ve heard one story of a family’s four-year-old girl being refused entry to Turkey because she had less than two months left on her passport.”
Passport rules for travelling in the EU
The EU encompasses Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
If you renewed your 10-year passport early, ensure that you’re still in the valid period as extra months may have been added at the beginning of the passport’s validity, meaning that your passport may be technically over 10 years old and excluded from some travel destinations.
However, if you’re travelling to Ireland, it’s not quite as strict. Ireland is part of the common travel area with the UK and a passport isn’t required from British nationals travelling from the UK. However, as immigration officers check the identification of people arriving by flight and may ask for proof of nationality. Money Saving Expert recommends taking your passport anyway and ensuring it’s valid for the entire stay.
For information on the specific country you’re visiting, the government has an online tool which tells you the latest information on travelling and entry requirements
How to apply for a new passport
The only website to use to apply for a passport is the Gov.uk website. On there, you can get your first passport, renew an old one or get one for your child. You can also apply by paper at the Post Office.
Renewing a passport can take three weeks and Money Saving Expert urges that travellers apply early to avoid disappointment.