Overview

• UK passports must be issued within ten years of the entry date into EU countries or carriers will refuse boarding.
• Passports need at least three months’ validity beyond EU departure dates, with some non-EU destinations requiring six months.
• Airlines rarely flag the ten-year rule during online check-in, leading many travellers to learn of issues only at boarding gates.
• Passengers must present passports with at least two blank pages and no significant damage to avoid invalidation at border control.
• Children’s passports expire after five years, so families should confirm issue and expiry dates well before summer holidays.