UK Travellers To Europe Warned Of '10-Year Passport Rule'

The EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) rules recently came into force, which left some UK fliers queueing for hours and even missing flights amidst airport chaos.

This is meant to lead into the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), which will mean non-EU nationals hoping for a short stay in Schengen countries will have to apply to do so online. 

But there’s a lesser-known rule already in place that could affect UK passengers flying abroad, which Nick Caunter, the managing director of Airport Parking and Hotels, dubbed the ’10-year passport rule’.

What is the 10-year passport rule? 

To travel to the EU and Schengen countries, UK fliers’ passports need to be under 10 years old at the time of arrival. This change came about after Brexit.

And UK passports need to have at least three months remaining before they expire while travelling to these countries, too. 

If your passport was issued after 2018, it won’t stay valid for more than 10 years anyway, the Post Office explained. 

They’re usually valid for a decade exactly, meaning you can’t fly anywhere ― EU included ― once they hit their double-digit birthday.

But some passports issued before then don’t expire until 10 years and nine months after you got it. 

That’s because the passport office used to automatically add up to nine months left on your old passport to the new document’s expiry date, but has stopped doing this since 2018. 

So, if your passport that was issued before 2018 is older than 10 years and is still technically valid, some EU and Schengen countries still won’t accept it. 

The BBC previously reported that as many as 32 million people applied for UK passports before 2018, when the expiry date rules changed.

“Travel rules have become more complicated for UK holidaymakers in recent years. Small details around passport validity, Schengen limits and the upcoming EES and ETIAS systems could easily catch people out if they do not check requirements before flying,” Caunter said.

Which countries does the 10-year passport rule apply to? 

Per Sky News, all EU and Schengen countries, except Ireland, follow the rule. 

That means it applies to:

You can apply for an emergency passport online if needed.