Don’t be swayed by this little-known UK passport expiration issue /

When planning an international trip, it is critical that your passport is valid for the duration of your travels. Most countries around the world require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your scheduled date of departure. The rule acts as a safety net to deal with unforeseen circumstances or possible delays that could extend your stay beyond the original travel plans.

But did you know that even if you have more than 6 months left on your due date, you can still get caught? Check out my passport photo below – it clearly states that my passport expires on April 23, 2024 (and is valid from August 23, 2023). This is seemingly all fine for my next scheduled overseas trip which is not until August 26, 2023. I mean, that’s almost 8 months before the due date, so everything is fine… no?

No! There is a catch that UK passport holders should be aware of…if I don’t renew my passport now, I would most likely be denied travel at the airport in August. This is why…

If you hold the old burgundy British passports and you are traveling to an EU country (except Ireland) or countries in the Schengen zone such as Switzerland, Norway and Iceland, your passport cannot be used if it is more than 10 years old from the issue date. It is a new rule that has come about since Brexit.

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In the case of my passport, my planned travel date of August 26, 2023 would be more than 10 years from the passport issue date (August 23, 2013).

It is not surprising that travelers get caught out because of this. It’s not unreasonable to assume that if your passport’s expiration date is more than 6 months away, you’re ‘good to go’, but it may not be the case.

So, before that next trip turns into an unexpected disaster just because of a technical glitch, you might want to check your passport…