Before you start planning your 2024 holiday, there's a quick passport check you need to do. With the winter blues creeping in, many of us are dreaming of sunnier climes and looking forward to our next getaway.
But before you get too carried away with your holiday plans, travel experts have issued a warning about a common mistake that could ruin your trip. Travel Republic is urging holidaymakers to check their passport expiry dates, as most countries won't let you in if your passport has less than three or six months left on it.
Gemma Brown, Head of Commercial and Travel expert at Travel Republic, said: "Many UK travellers are still unaware of the various passport validity rules that could cut their trips short, with the 6-month passport rule being the most common."
She told the Daily Record: "A passport is usually valid for 5-10 years and because of this, many simply forget to check when they expire before booking a holiday. It's important to make this check as most countries will not allow you to travel if your passport has less than three or six months before expiration.
"If you are planning to travel internationally, your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of departure to be accepted into most countries. Not all countries require six months and you may be permitted to travel if you have three months remaining on your passport. The rules are dependent on where you are travelling and are even based on your nationality in some cases. For peace of mind, we advise you to renew your passport and check the entry requirements of your destination to avoid entry refusal."
"If you're keen on jetting off this winter but find your passport is due to expire soon, there are several countries who do not follow this rule and will grant entry on arrival."
Read on below for the most popular holiday destinations that will accept an expiring British passport, dependant on the length of months you have left on yours.
Destinations that only require that your passport is valid until the day you leave their country:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Barbados
- Canada - Canada will allow entry if you have six months or less on your passport, however, it may take longer for you to get through immigration
- Chile
- Gibraltar
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Tunisia
- St Lucia
- USA
Destinations that require that your passport is valid for three months:
Certain destinations require you to have three months left on your passport from the day you plan to leave. Your passport must also be less than 10 years old on the day you enter the country. These include Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Malta, Monaco, Portugal and Spain.
Destinations that require that your passport is valid for six months:
In most cases, this means valid for six months from the date you arrive at the below destinations, but it's worth checking the individual entry requirements for the country you're visiting to make sure. These include Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Fiji, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Maldives, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.
