Check you passport. Expiry is 10 years from date of issue and may be sooner that stated expiry date

[tudorsailor]

I saw a post on the Cruising Association site about the change in rules. I am in the situation of have my passport issued in July 2011 and having stated expiry date April 2022. Now the EU state that the passport is valid for 10 years from issue so expires this month!

Here are the details

Basically you need 6 months on your 10 year passport when travelling to the EU. But your expiry date for EU travel is 10 years from the issue date in July 2011 not the expiry date in April 2022 shown on your passport which can be over 10 years if you renewed early.

"AN urgent warning to holidaymakers who have passports due to expire has been issued - as passengers fall foul of new rules.

New rules brought in following the UKs exit from the European Union now mean certain passports still appearing 'in date' are no longer valid.

The rules, which apply when travelling to most EU countries, now say passports must be under ten years old, even if extra months were added from a renewal.

The previous requirement to have at least six months from the expiry date remaining on passports on the day of travel to the EU has stayed in place.



But it now means holidaymakers should ensure their passports have at least six months left, ten years from the date the passport was issued - not the expiry date.

The rule change, came in on January 1st "

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Surely a passport is valid if the ISSUING country says so? Its validity is no one else's business.

 

[MoodySabre]

AN urgent warning to holidaymakers who have passports due to expire has been issued

Who by? Nothiing of the Foreign Office website about this.

 

[Stork_III]

AN urgent warning to holidaymakers who have passports due to expire has been issued

Who by? Nothiing of the Foreign Office website about this.

Passport rules for travel to Europe

 

[st599]

Surely a passport is valid if the ISSUING country says so? Its validity is no one else's business.

Nope, never has been - US, EU, Aus, NZ all have their own validity rules.

As for the EU, the Border Code is quite clear (and has been since 2006):

1. For intended stays on the territory of the Member States of a duration of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, which entails considering the 180-day period preceding each day of stay, the entry conditions for third-country nationals shall be the following:

they are in possession of a valid travel document entitling the holder to cross the border satisfying the following criteria:

its validity shall extend at least three months after the intended date of departure from the territory of the Member States. In a justified case of emergency, this obligation may be waived;
it shall have been issued within the previous 10 years;

 

[pyrojames]

Many many countries require you to have 6 months validity on your passport. This is nothing new.

 

[MoodySabre]

Passport rules for travel to Europe

Thanks

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Many many countries require you to have 6 months validity on your passport. This is nothing new.

But not accepting the validity of the passport as specified by the issuing country is.

 

[Seashoreman]

What is the penalty? Does that differ in each EU State? Is it Criminal Law? Will you be detained leaving with a passport that is only valid for 5 months 20 days? We must be told.

 

[Mister E]

The penalty is that the country does not let you in. With all the problems showing that you were declined entry.
Never mind the cost.

 

[prv]

But not accepting the validity of the passport as specified by the issuing country is.

2006 is “new”?

Pete

 

[AntarcticPilot]

2006 is “new”?

Pete

New to me!

 

[Sandydog2]

I have lost 9 months on mine too. Not because of needing 6 months validity when I travel, but because it is now only valid for 10 years from the date of issue. The expiry date was 10 years and 9 months after the issue date, as I renewed early. So with the 6 month requirement as well, it is effectively useless 15 months before the expiry date printed on it. I'm sure a lot of people will be caught out by it.

 

[Wiltshire]

Be prepared to hand over a significant amount of money for replacement. About £90 from recollection. I needed to renew recently because of the 6 month rule and living over here you have to surrender your passport by post and wait hopefully for your new one. You used to be able to renew at the local British Embassy but sadly no more. This leaves the would be traveller living overseas but with no passport and subject to the whims of the various postal authorities. In fairness and despite the impact of COVID meaning many of their people are working at home the passport office turned the request around in just a few weeks when I had feared the worst.

 

[Mistroma]

I have lost 9 months on mine too. Not because of needing 6 months validity when I travel, but because it is now only valid for 10 years from the date of issue. The expiry date was 10 years and 9 months after the issue date, as I renewed early. So with the 6 month requirement as well, it is effectively useless 15 months before the expiry date printed on it. I'm sure a lot of people will be caught out by it.

Yes, the 9 months is wasted because you need to leave the EU at least a day before issue date + 10 years. I wouldn't say 15 months is wasted.

The gov. website states the 2 rules as separate requirements.

1. Suggest at least 6 months left on your passport before leaving
2. Passport must also be less than 10 years old on the day after you leave.

The 6 month suggestion is because you might stay 90 days and most EU countries require 3 months before expiry on day after you leave. I believe the first part relates to the passport expiry date and only the second part relates to issue date. Returning with a passport just under 10 years from issue should be OK as long as the expiry date is more than 3 months afterwards. You could try typing details into the online checker

Passport rules for travel to Europe

Check a passport for travel to Europe from 1 January 2021

 

[tudorsailor]

For the doubters, this is on the website: Passport rules for travel to Europe - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Passport validity
We recommend that on the day you travel you have at least 6 months left on your passport. This allows for:

• travelling in Europe for up to 3 months (you don’t normally need a visa for the first 90 days in every 180 days of travel)
• the requirement from most European countries to have at least 3 months left on your passport on the day after you leave

Your passport must also be less than 10 years old on the day after you leave. If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the minimum period needed.

These rules do not apply to travel to Ireland. You can continue to use your passport as long as it’s valid for the length of your stay.

 

[BlackwaterLad]

Sadly, it's all to true
Check a passport for travel to Europe
I have a passport that says it expires April 2022. It stopped working for EU &USA travel March 2021!

 

[oldmanofthehills]

Basically if you renew passport early the UK adds that difference to the date based on 10 years from previous declared expiry, but the EU does not accept the modified date and insists on 10 years exactly. A simple change resulting from leaving EU

 

[Stork_III]

Basically if you renew passport early the UK adds that difference to the date based on 10 years from previous declared expiry, but the EU does not accept the modified date and insists on 10 years exactly. A simple change resulting from leaving EU

Since Jan 2021, UK passports are only issued for 10 years, no added months.

 

[lustyd]

I have lost 9 months on mine too. Not because of needing 6 months validity when I travel, but because it is now only valid for 10 years from the date of issue. The expiry date was 10 years and 9 months after the issue date, as I renewed early. So with the 6 month requirement as well, it is effectively useless 15 months before the expiry date printed on it. I'm sure a lot of people will be caught out by it.

It's an entry requirement as quoted by st599 above. as such you can enter right up until 10 years after issue, then stay 90 days and still have three months remaining. I make that 6 months wasted at most. Realistically though, is a passport really the type of asset you want to sweat?