Brits Face Being Sent Home Over Overlooked Passport Rule

With the October half term approaching rapidly, a travel expert has issued a cautionary advisory to Britons who are gearing up for holidays in popular destinations like France, Greece, Italy, Spain, the USA, and more. This advisory relates to a relatively unknown passport rule that could potentially derail their overseas travel plans.

The warning is not centred around the recent changes to passport validity and expiry dates following Brexit, although it is crucial to ensure your documents comply with these requirements.

While there are various commonplace passport issues, such as damaged pages, that might result in boarding denials at the airport, a travel expert is urging Brits to also pay attention to the number of pages available in their passports.

Since the UK's departure from the EU, British travellers are required to have their passports stamped when entering and exiting numerous EU countries. However, it is unwise to assume that you can continue using your passport until it is completely full before renewing it.

Antonio Fellino, the Managing Director and a seasoned travel expert at Travel Republic, offers this caution: "Passport stamps act as proof that a traveller has not overstayed their visa requirement, and if your passport has too many stamps, it can lead to a variety of implications including potential border control issues and practical concerns, depending on the country you are visiting.

"This means visitors must pay careful attention to how many passport pages they have left, as some countries will refuse entry if you don’t have enough space in your passport. Since UK passport holders now need to get their passport stamped every time they enter and leave the EU, running out of pages is now a real possibility for those who are travelling on a regular basis."

For those planning multiple trips within a year, Fellino suggests putting in an application for a 'jumbo passport' from the Passport Office, which provides 54 pages as opposed to the standard 34 pages.

If you have travel plans on the horizon, it is advisable to review the specific entry requirements of your chosen destination, and this information can typically be found in the Foreign Office's travel advice.

This is not the first time that travel insiders have emphasised the importance of monitoring the available blank pages in your passport well in advance of your departure.

Cody Candee, the founder of luggage storage company Bounce, previously cautioned travellers, stating: "If you run out of blank passport pages you will have to renew your passport sooner than your renewal date. Some countries, such as Italy, require a fully blank visa page for valid entry, while others, such as South Africa require at least two. Be sure to check the requirements of your chosen destination before travelling so that you don’t get caught out."

Additionally, it's worth noting that the rules governing the validity of British passports for EU visits are now firmly in place. This includes the requirement for passports to remain valid for a minimum of three months beyond the planned departure date when travelling to an EU country.

Furthermore, your passport should have been issued less than ten years before your date of entry into the destination country, a rule that caught many holidaymakers off guard during the summer holiday season.

Source - Daily Mirror