Passport query

[sherrardk]

My daughter's passport runs out on 29 July - we might be able to go on holiday before then (looking like either Corfu or Tenerife - cost is a major factor). Obviously her passport must still be in date for the return flight but does it have to have any extra time on it? Thanks

[nicolab6]

Most airlines ask for at least 6 months validity now

[sherrardk]

Thanks for that - will go and get the form tomorrow and get it sorted out.

[hippyhoppy]

Brace yourself Sherr.. I've just coughed up over £120 for two kids passports... humph.. can't afford to go on holiday now..!! ;-)

[nicolab6]

Good idea, last time we did ours they were pretty quick

[sherrardk]

Tell me about it Hippy- last time we got some passports we needed two children renewals and two childrens first passports (and we had to use the same day service).

[237SJ]

Her passport won`t need to have extra time. It`s a bit of a myth that you need extra time on your passport although I found out recently that you need an extra 6 months to enter Singapore. If you look at the fco.gov website it will tell you the entry requirements for countries (assuming you have a UK passport or passport from an EU member state).

[pretty_snowdrop]

No it doesn't. I actually phoned up about this . It just needs to be valid on the return date.

[beverleymot]

i'm an ex air hostess- yes you do need six months validity- you only get 9.5 years on a passport

[237SJ]

What do you mean about the 9.5 years?

[beverleymot]

for certain places you cant travel if there is 6 months or less validity on a passport

[pretty_snowdrop]

I travelled to Spain with only a few days remaining on my passport and i was ok. I contacted the foreign office before hand who confirmed it would be ok as long as the passport was valid on the day i returned home.

[237SJ]

Yes, certain places but very few. The OP mentioned Spain and Greece, both of which say you only have to have passport validity for the duration of the trip.

[pink-kittens]

"Most airlines ask for at least 6 months validity now"

Rubbish! Assuming it is a British passport, it just needs to be valid for the duration of your trip to visit Tenerfie or Corfu

http://www.theanswerb...l/Question984880.html
Read dzugs reply in this link and search this section for yourself to find the '6 month rule' is largly a myth

[pink-kittens]

"Most airlines ask for at least 6 months validity now"

Rubbish! Assuming it is a British passport, it just needs to be valid for the duration of your trip to visit Tenerfie or Corfu

http://www.theanswerb...l/Question984880.html
Read dzugs reply in this link and search this section for yourself to find the '6 month rule' is largly a myth

[pink-kittens]

sorry about the double posting, seems AB has a few glitches in it's system

[237SJ]

As I said, Singapore`s the only place I can think of and they say you have to have 6 months validity after the trip but there might be one or two obscure places.

[carmalee]

check the requirements of the country you are visiting - simple - btw you can always fast rtrack a passport application but it costs.

[ubasses]

The following is from Govt web site for greece

Entry Requirements - Passport Validity
Non-EEA (European Economic Area) nationals travelling to Greece must have a passport valid for at least three months after the period of their intended stay or expiry date of their visa. Nationals of the EEA are exempt from the above regulation but must have a passport valid for the period of their intended stay.

[Buenchico]

There seems to be a lot of rubbish getting posted here (at least in the earlier responses).

As EU citizens, Sherrardk, your family have the legal right to enter any EU country as long as you can prove that citizenship. A British passport provides such proof up until the very last second of the validity stated on it. You can ALWAYS use a valid British passport (irrespective of the time left on it) to enter any EU country.

Only a few non-EU destinations (among the countries popular with British tourists) specify a minimum period of passport validity. (Even the USA, which has some of the strictest immigration rules in the world, waives their normal '6 month validity' rule for holders of British passports).

Some travel agents can't be bothered to train their staff properly. They simply 'cover themselves' by getting their staff to say that travellers will always need 6 months left on their passports, despite the fact that it's hardly ever true.


You can check on the entry requirements, for British passport holders, for any country in the world on the website of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office:
http://www.fco.gov.uk...el-advice-by-country/
However, as I've already stated (and, thankfully, some of the better-informed contributors to this thread have already done so as well) it's pointless checking on the rules for any EU country because an 'in date' passport is ALWAYS valid for entry into the country.

Chris

[Dee Sa]

why take a chance ? renew the passport now, no anxiety on the day if you do, can never understand why people leave it until the last minute.Also I believe children's passports are valid for 5 years only, a pal found that out as she tried to take them to Oz on holiday.