Urgent travel warning as 7 million Brits unaware of crucial passport rule

Not being well-informed of the travel restrictions of the country you plan to visit could cost you your holiday, warns travel experts. And this oversight is all too common, as new research shows that one in four travellers is unaware of at least one passport rule for a country they plan to visit.

The travel insurance comparison site, Go.Compare, recently used ONS and survey data to conduct a travel study. As a result of the research uncovered, the comparison site is urging holidaymakers to watch out for some little-known mistakes before they jet off.

The study estimates that as many as 6.9 million holidaymakers could be affected because they are not aware of the regulations for the country they plan to visit. This could lead to a hold up at security or, worst case, your plans being derailed altogether.

Research showed that almost a quarter (24%) of travellers admitted they were unaware of one or more rules relating to a country they plan to visit. And one of the most notable knowledge gaps had to do with passports.

To clarify, travellers are subject to certain passport rules when going abroad, which are enforced at the airport. These include making sure your passport is valid for the correct length of time for your stay - including departure.

According to the study, only half of recent visitors to Europe knew that a passport must be issued less than 10 years before departure. In fact, this has been a growing oversight since Brexit - for both passengers and airline staffers.

As dictated by the 10-year rule, British passport holders need to show that their passport has been issued less than 10 years before the day they enter the European Union. Similarly, under the three-month rule, British passports must be valid for at least three months after the day travellers plan to leave the European Union.

However, confusion about passport requirements recently led easyJet staff to incorrectly identify a woman’s passport as invalid for travel to the European Union. The incident was reminiscent of a similar story that took place in December 2024, which saw a couple’s holiday plans completely derailed.

According to the study, just under a third of travellers knew that a passport must be valid for at least three months after the return date. Put into perspective, this means around 13.9 million travellers could have made one of these mistakes on their trip.

The comparison site also found that only two in five UK adults knew they wouldn’t be covered by their insurance policy if they made one of these passport errors. Without cover, holidaymakers risk losing out on any money spent on their trip if they can’t travel because of a problem with their passport.

Rhys Jones, travel insurance expert at Go.Compare, said: “Unfortunately, you likely won’t be covered under your travel insurance for any costs incurred from passport problems preventing your departure. That’s why it’s so important to know the rules for any destination you plan to visit and to check your passport well before you travel.”

Jones continued: “You can check passport validity requirements for different countries on the UK government's foreign travel advice page. If you’re not sure if your passport will be in date, it’s better to be on the safe side and renew it before you attempt to travel.”