British travellers are continuing to face disruption at airports after being denied boarding because their passports do not meet current validity rules, despite appearing to be within date. The issue centres on the UK’s 10-year passport rule, which many passengers remain unaware of, leaving them unknowingly travelling with documents that are no longer valid for entry into certain countries. Airlines are enforcing the rules strictly, meaning passengers can be turned away before departure, often at significant personal cost.
The rule affects passports issued before October 2018, when the UK was part of the European Union. At the time, unused months from an old passport could be added to a new one, resulting in passports with more than 10 years’ validity. However, many countries now require UK passports to be no more than 10 years old on the day of entry and to have at least three or six months’ validity remaining beyond the return date. As a result, some passports that appear valid on paper are rejected under international travel regulations.
According to Sky News, the latest Money newsletter has highlighted the ongoing confusion, explaining why the rule exists, how travellers can check whether their passport meets entry requirements, and what steps to take to avoid last-minute travel chaos. The advice urges passengers to carefully check both the issue date and expiry date of their passport well in advance of travel, rather than relying solely on the expiry date printed inside.
The newsletter also covers a range of other key financial updates, including HMRC’s new penalty points system, real-life money concerns affecting households, and the best current deals on broadband, mortgages, savings accounts and energy. With travel rules tightening and airlines showing little flexibility, experts warn that failing to check passport validity early could lead to cancelled holidays, missed events and costly rebooking fees.
Source : BBC News
