Overview
- Analysis of HM Passport Office data published in late July shows 705,904 UK passports have under three months’ validity remaining and 347,268 were issued more than ten years ago, a combined total above one million that may not meet Schengen rules.
- Schengen entry requires non‑EU travellers to hold passports issued within the last ten years and valid for at least three months after planned departure, rules that can invalidate some UK passports that still show an expiry date.
- The EU Entry/Exit System now uses facial and fingerprint checks instead of stamping, which is increasing processing times at border control and raising the risk of longer queues and boarding denials for travellers with marginal documentation.
- Travel experts warn that denied boarding for invalid passports is often not covered by travel insurance and that high numbers of passports set to expire in 2026 plus last year’s 422,705 lost or stolen reports could make last‑minute renewals hard or costly.
- Holidaymakers whose passports were renewed before September 2018 should check the issue date because earlier renewals could have added unused validity and created documents that appear current but fail the Schengen 'issued within 10 years' test.