Martin Lewis issues passport warning for families heading abroad this summer

MARTIN Lewis has issued a travel warning regarding passports for Brits heading abroad this summer.

He explained on his show that families could easily be caught out by two little rules they may not be aware of.

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Anyone who fails to follow them faces being turned away at the border and left out of pocket.

He said on his show Martin Lewis Money Show Live: “You need to check if you’re going away; do you have six months or more left at the time you go away, and will the passport be under ten years old when you travel?

“There are many countries now where you won’t be allowed in unless you can fulfil those criteria.

“Since Brexit, even EU countries require UK passports to have three months left on them now for you to get in, and the passport must be under ten years old.

“Lots of people miss that second one, so check that.”

Most countries in Europe require at least three months left, while some destinations in Asia require at least six months.

The government website explains for European destinations: “Your passport must be:

• issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)”

This means even if your passport technically is in date due to the expiry date, it is the start date you need to check.

For example, if your passport currently has an expiry date of November 2023, but was issued in May 2013, it has expired.

A number of Brits have already been caught out by the confusing rules.

Travel writer Jenny Southan was stopped from boarding her flight and left £700 out of pocket when she didn’t realise her passport had expired under the new rules.

Rosi Simpson, a teacher from Brighton was prevented from boarding her flight to Paris to see her son despite having “eight months” on her passport.

And Johanne Morris was banned from boarding her easyJet flight to Portugal with her godson Chayce Pearson due to the new passport rules.

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