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Travellers planning holidays in the coming weeks are being urged to double-check their passports, as new post-Brexit rules could affect their trips. Anyone living in the UK must hold a valid passport to travel abroad.
British passports can be obtained if you are a British citizen, a British overseas territories citizen, a British overseas citizen, a British subject, a British national (overseas), or a British protected person. To renew or replace one, you’ll need to apply through HM Passport Office, where the average processing time is currently up to three weeks.
With the summer holidays nearing their end, experts at Confused.com are reminding people to confirm their passports are valid before travelling. Alvaro Iturmendi explained: “Nothing dampens the end-of-summer mood more than being refused boarding because of an invalid passport. It’s easier to overlook than many realise — our research showed that just 43% of holidaymakers know EU travel rules require passports to be issued within the last 10 years.”
For UK travellers heading to the Schengen zone, the passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the arrival date, and it must remain valid for at least three months beyond the planned departure date. Failure to meet these requirements usually results in being denied boarding at the airport.
If a replacement is needed urgently, costs can rise to ÂŁ222. Standard waiting times are around three weeks, though delays may occur if extra checks or interviews are required. As of April 10, the fee for a standard adult passport (aged 16 and above) is ÂŁ94.50 for online applications and ÂŁ107 for paper applications.
