Passport delays at Her Majesty’s Passport Office have left eager travellers waiting so long as 10 weeks to receive a latest or renewed passport. While long processing times are a key concern for a lot of holiday-seekers, Britons are also being caught out by the wonderful print corresponding to expiry and issue dates on their passports. These are the 4 key checks it is best to all the time make in your documents before heading abroad this summer.
The expiry date
This may occasionally sound like one in all the more obvious checks to make, but what exactly do you have to be in search of within the expiry date?
While a clearly outdated passport will leave you unable to travel abroad, it is best to even be how soon your passport will expire beyond the dates of your trip.
All countries could have their very own rules concerning passport validity and expiration rules, so it’s crucial that you simply cross-check your expiry date with the rules set by your destination country.
Some countries including Australia and Barbados state that your passport must only be valid throughout your stay, while other countries like China and Egypt require a minimum of six months validity beyond the date you intend to return home.
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HM Passport Office beneficial that Britons travelling to Europe have a minimum of three months left on their passport on the day of departure.
European countries which require a minimum of three months validity include Greece, Croatia, France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Malta and Ireland.
One of the best place to ascertain exact requirements is the Foreign Office’s travel advice in your destination – you may check this on the Government website.
The date of issue
Several EU countries within the Schengen Area set a ten 12 months limit on the time between your passport being issued, and the dates you intend to travel.
While your passport could have been issued throughout the last 10 years, additionally it is necessary to factor the validity requirements into this time-frame.
For instance, a rustic that requires a minimum of six months in your passport after travel will only accept a passport that was issued not more than nine years and 6 months ago.
Similarly, a rustic that requires three months validity will only accept your passport if it was issued not more than nine years and nine months ago.
Before BREXIT, UK passports were issued and essentially allowed for this buffer, but this not applies in the identical way.
When you take into consideration the three to 6 month period after travel, you’ll only be allowed to travel in case your passport was issued not more than nine years and nine months ago.
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Physical damage
Keeping an in-date passport is crucial if you desire to travel abroad, but it is best to also ensure that that the document is kept in good condition too.
A damaged passport might be deemed as invalid by border control each on home soil, and abroad, so give it a once over to ascertain for:
- Unreadable pages
- Ripped or missing pages
- Water damage
- Unexpected markings or writing
In case your passport is visibly damaged, you may apply for a renewal or a substitute on the Government website.
Passport details
The Foreign Office has issued a selected pre-travel checklist for Brits to make use of as guidance before travelling abroad on holiday.
As a part of its advice, the Foreign Office suggested that travellers check their passport accommodates up-to-date contact details and is accurately filled out.
The checklist states that Brits should:
- Take a photograph or photocopy of the knowledge page of your passport (the page together with your photo, personal details and passport number)
- Store the knowledge securely so it might probably be accessed if valuables/phones are lost or stolen
- Sign your passport on the page opposite your information page – an unsigned passport isn’t valid
- Fill in your emergency contact details behind your passport
