Is your UK Passport Valid?

Before you travel – make sure you check your UK passport.

Since the UK left the EU, anyone attempting to travelling within the EU (but not Ireland) and Shengen countries must have a passport that was issued LESS than 10 years before your departure date.

 

It MUST also be valid for 3 months after your planned return date.

 

Passports issued after 2018 are valid for exactly 10 years. However, if your passport was issued before September 2018, it could be valid for up to 10 years and 9 Months, this is because before 2018 the passport office used to add up to 9 months from an old passport to a new one.

 

As a result of this, some people have passports that have not officially expired, and are valid for travel in the rest of the world, but not in parts of Europe because they were issued more than 10 years ago.

 

Is your passport valid?

Check if your passport was issued before September 2018.

 

If you are going to countries within the EU you must have a passport issued less than 10 years before your departure date.

 

Has it passed its 10-year anniversary? Even if it has several months left to run, it is invalid for travel to all EU countries. With the exception of Ireland as well as Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein and Switzerland.

 

What to do with your passport now if you need a new one?

It can take up to 3 weeks to renew a passport from the UK.

If your passport is invalid you can try to book an emergency appointment online at your nearest passport office. They offer a 1-day Premium Service and a 1 week fast track service. Book Here: Passport Renewal

Alternatively you can renew your passport online by HM Passport Office or by using a paper application form from certain Post Offices. Renew online here

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*This information was correct at the time of writing.