Five passport mistakes people make that can ruin a holiday & cost you thousands

THOUSANDS of passport office workers are going on a five-week strike next month.

The walkout, which will run from  April 3 to May 5, is expected to cause major disruption at offices in areas including Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Newport, Peterborough and Southport.

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Travel experts are warning Brits to check their passports now to avoid any issues and delays to summer holidays.

Cody Candee, CEO, and founder of travel and luggage storage experts Bounce has five tips to save time and money, plus minimise travel problems:

Check that your passport is valid

It may sound obvious, but if you’re traveling abroad you must make sure that your passport is valid for the entire duration of your trip.

Not only should your passport be valid for your departure date, but many countries require your passport to be in date for at least 6 months after your arrival, even if you’re visiting for a day.

Renew your passport early

With the cost of fast-tracking a new passport significantly more expensive than standard applications, it’s best to renew your passport well in advance.

If you have less than six months validity, apply for a new passport immediately as the Home Office is predicting another massive year for renewals.

Check your blank pages

If you run out of blank passport pages you will have to renew your passport sooner than your renewal date.

Some countries, such as Italy, require a fully blank visa page for valid entry, while others, such as South Africa require at least two.

Be sure to check the requirements of your chosen destination before travelling.

Beware of copycat websites

There are a variety of websites that imitate official Government websites for passport applications.

These websites attempt to charge users £20 – £100 on top of the official passport fee, by offering additional ‘validation’ services.

When applying for a new passport, be cautious of these types of websites, and be sure only to use trusted sources.

For example, the Post Office’s Check & Send Service offers in-depth passport application guidance, from specially trained Postmasters. 

Make sure your passport isn’t ripped

In recent years, a number of holidaymakers have reported being refused boarding at the airport because of a damaged passport.

According to The Post Office, HM Passport Office classes a passport as damaged if:

• Details are indecipherable
• The laminate has lifted enough to allow the possibility of photo substitution
• There’s discolouration of the bio-data page
• There’s chemical or ink spillage on any page
• There are missing or detached pages
• The chip or antenna shows through the end paper on the back cover for the new style e-passports
• The chip has been identified as damaged after investigation

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