Airport strikes, the new entry/exit system, extreme heat and forest fires have all served to complicate the summer holidays so far, not to mention the war in the Middle East and now Britons are being warned to check their passports or pay a hefty price.
Britons heading to Spain, and the EU in general, have been urged to make a crucial passport check before heading on their summer holidays as new data reveals more than one million UK passports could fail entry requirements.
Your passport must be issued less than 10 years before the day you enter the EU. Passports with extended validity issued before 2018 may be rejected if they are past their 10th anniversary. Passports must remain valid for at least three months after your planned departure date from the Schengen Area and obviously, prepare for enhanced border checks and potential delays as the EU implements the biometric Entry/Exit System requiring fingerprinting and facial photographs.
A passport can still appear valid, but if it was issued more than 10 years before the date you enter the Schengen area, you could be refused boarding or entry. It’s one of the easiest mistakes to avoid, provided you check early enough.
Quick tips:
Your passport was issued less than 10 years before the day you enter the Schengen area.
Your passport remains valid for at least three months after the date you plan to leave.
Your destination is part of the Schengen area and subject to EES checks.
You allow extra time at the airport or border crossing.
You follow your airline’s latest advice on recommended arrival times.You avoid paying unofficial websites for ETIAS before it officially launches.
Children’s passports have been checked separately, as they expire sooner than adult passports.
Your passport details exactly match your travel booking.