People who still have the old red passports have been issued a warning ahead of what is expected to be a busy summer for travel.
If you’re planning to go abroad in 2024, it is important that you check your passport before you depart. This is due to post-Brexit rule changes, and entry requirements for other countries.
Many nations will not let you enter unless your passport is valid for another six months before you leave for international travel. This is known as the “six-month validity rule”.
READ MORE: Island that ‘looks just like Caribbean’ you can fly to for £60
READ MORE: Dancing on Ice’s Holly Willoughby declares love for ITV co-star
People with red passports may run a risk of their documents not having long enough left.
According to VisaGuide.World, there are 70 countries that follow the six-month passport rule, while another 41 apply the three-month passport validity rule. This means travellers can enter these countries if their passport is valid for at least three more months.
If you still have a red passport, which are no longer being issued after Brexit, it’s crucial to check its expiry date, as reported in Wales Online. Since Brexit, your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day of arrival in the EU, and its expiry date should be at least three months after your intended departure date from the EU.
Many people assume that an adult passport lasts 10 years, but if your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date if the previous passport was renewed before it fully expired.
You can check if your passport will be valid for your trip on GOV.UK. You’ll need to search for the country you’re going to and click on “entry requirements”. You can also only stay for a maximum of 90 days within a six-month period.
When the UK was in the European Union, you could have stayed as long as you liked.
Countries that have a six month passport rule
Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Curacao, Cote D’Ivoire, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana., Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Somaliland, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
Countries that have a three month passport rule
Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein., Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Countries with other validity rules
Bermuda (45 days upon entry), Eritrea (three months on arrival), Hong Kong (three months on arrival), Lebanon (three months on arrival), Macau (three months on arrival), Micronesia (four months on arrival), South Africa (three months on arrival), The Maldives (three months on arrival), and Zambia (four months on arrival).
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what’s on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
Win a £100 Aldi voucher to help with those shopping essentials
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
