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Why UK passport holders should check their passports' issuance dates before entering the EU

2023-04-13  Diana Solomon

Before it's too late, be sure you're not caught off guard by the new passport regulations.

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Did you know that while visiting EU nations (except for Ireland) or Schengen zone nations like Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland, the expiration date on burgundy British passports may be meaningless? It is because, as a result of Brexit, British passports cannot be older than 10 years when used to enter the EU. As a result, you must look at the passport's issue date rather than its expiration date. Most people, understandably, believe that an adult passport is valid for 10 years. However, if your passport was issued before October 1, 2018, it may have been extended by a few months if it was renewed before its expiration date was up (the extra months used to be rolled over).

On a recent trip to France, despite being a travel journalist, I was caught off guard by this sly restriction (you can read more on the FCO's website). Ironically, I was aware of it but promptly forgot about it. I had recently returned from a vacation to the US, and because I still had seven months on my passport until it expires in November 2023 (you need at least three months to travel to the EU), I hadn't given a second thought to taking my daughter to France for the Easter holidays. So I used Easyjet's online check-in system, uploading my passport information as instructed, and then I traveled to London Gatwick with my four-year-old. We had our passports verified before putting our luggage on the hold, and after that, we went through security.

 

 

After a few hours, we were waiting in line to board the plane, but when it was finally our turn, an Easyjet employee scanned my passport and it appeared as "amber" on her screen. She then severely informed me that we would not be able to board because my passport had expired. We were scheduled to be seeing my daughter's grandparents when she started sobbing and pleading to see them. Uncomfortable, the Easyjet agent told me to move away from the gate and insisted there was no way we could proceed. It seemed like an arbitrary regulation, which astonished me. The airline's failure to indicate it during the booking or check-in process was not acknowledged by the representative, who also refused to agree that it was confusing for passengers.

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Then, as they unloaded everything off the aircraft, we had to wait for our bag for two hours. Since the regulation has been in effect since January 2021, it is my responsibility. However, I felt the need to relate my story since if I can make this error, then surely others will. It's also an expensive one—flights, hotels, and vacations are all gone.

Even worse, this occurred during the first week of the five-week-long HM Passport Office strikes, which took place last week. It meant that even though I would have booked new flights if I could, I was unable to obtain a new passport in time to go during the Easter holiday. Normally, you may spend £193.50 to apply for either a Fast Track passport that takes a week or an Online Premium passport that can be picked up in two days. I tried to schedule an appointment for an Online Premium premium passport when I got home, but it took me two days to do it (every time I clicked, it indicated there were no open appointments; the same was true for Fast Track).

 

I eventually succeeded in moving forward with the application on April 6 after several failed efforts, but the earliest appointment I could obtain was April 25 and I would have to go to the passport office in Belfast to pick it up (I reside in London). There were no open berths in England. I decided to go ahead with this because I had a work trip to Berlin at the beginning of May. I spent £250 on my flights to Belfast and an additional £100 on lodging. My girls' passports expire in September 2023, so I realized I would need to acquire one for her as well if we wanted to travel overseas this summer (you can't use Online Premium for youngsters, and it costs £126 for Fast Track). There are currently no open appointments.

These are the current guidelines for British citizens visiting the EU and Schengen region. You need a passport that:

  • Issued with a "date of issue" that is fewer than ten years before the day you enter the country.
  • Valid for a minimum of three months from the day you want to depart.
  • If both of the following apply to you, you do not require a visa for short travels to the EU or countries in the Schengen area: if you stay for 90 days or less in a 180-day time OR if you're there as a tourist or for certain other reasons.

Read about; Here are the top ten sunniest locations in the UK.
 


2023-04-13  Diana Solomon