Every UK passport holder needs to make two key checks
Holidaymakers could stand to lose thousands of pounds and even miss out on their holiday if they fail to perform crucial checks on their passport.
Numerous countries in the EU and globally have strict entry requirements, many of which are tied to the dates on your passport. In the UK, a standard adult passport is valid for 10 years, while child passports for anyone under 16 are only valid for five years.
There are no automatic renewals or reminders for when your passport is due to expire, so it's always the responsibility of the traveller to ensure their passport meets the necessary requirements to enter their chosen country when booking their holiday.
Six-month date on passport
It's generally recommended that British passports should have at least six months remaining until their expiry date before travelling abroad. However, some countries may have more lenient rules, particularly within the EU.
For instance, Spain only requires travellers to have an expiry date at least three months after the day they plan to depart the Schengen area.
10-year expiry limit
Moreover, many travellers should consider renewing their passports if they have less than three months until their expiry date, or if the passport is 10 years old or more from the day it was first issued. However, it's important to allow ample time for passport renewal as the process can take several weeks, particularly with the expected increase in people travelling abroad during the summer.
For those in need of a quick passport renewal, a fast-track application is available, though this comes with an extra fee.
Potential of losing thousands of pounds
If you've spent a significant amount on your holiday that you can't actually enjoy due to failing to carry out essential passport checks, you may find that you're unable to claim the money back. If you have travel insurance, the insurance provider will not typically cover the costs of an emergency passport or a missed flight.
If you are unsure whether your passport is valid for a holiday you plan on going on this summer, you can use the Post Office's passport validity checker for a wide array of popular travel destination.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Two summer mini-breaks where you can avoid holiday crowds from Portuguese beach trip to British countryside
Read on to find out which activity you should not miss if you're after an adrenalin high, and which Portuguese beach is a must-see TOP OF THE SWAPS Two summer mini-breaks where you can avoid holiday crowds from Portuguese beach trip to British countryside SWERVE the holiday crowds and hit one of these nearby locations for a magic mini-break. Swap Lisbon for Cascais or the Cotswolds for Tewkesbury for a perfect summer trip. 9 Hit the river at Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire Swap the Cotswolds for. . . Tewkesbury Say hello to a family-friendly break just west of those honeycomb villages at Tewkesbury Park in Gloucestershire. THE PAD Golfers can enjoy teeing off on the site of the 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury, but the whole clan will appreciate the warm service and countryside setting of this family-owned hotel. Family rooms can be a squeeze, but nab one with a terrace for games of frisbee on the grass. 9 Check in a chic room at the Tewkesbury Park hotel Credit: Tewkesbury Park Hotel - Ph: Koray Firat - Supplied A Nespresso machine, Hypnos bed and Natural Spa Factory toiletries also score points. The dinky spa garden at the pool is home to a Finnish sauna and Jacuzzi, while restaurant Mint serves up very decent nosh – think smoked salmon with avo, pickled quail's egg and wasabi mayo on rye, £16, and butter chicken tikka curry with sides galore, £20. Finish with the Snickers-inspired iced pud, £13. Come brekky, you'll find a feast, including build-your-own yoghurt pots, local sausages and British cheeses. EXPLORE After a wander around Tewkesbury's impressive Abbey and its gardens, pop into Church Street Gifts for locally made gin and home knick-knacks, then vintage hunt in Abbey Antiques opposite. The Severn Ham nature reserve makes for an easy stroll, while a river cruise to spot swans is fun for little ones. 9 Safari so good with elephants at Sudeley Castle Martin Lewis warns about strict passport rule that could see you board your flight - only to get sent home on arrival A 45-minute boat trip costs £15 for adults, £10 for over-threes ( Worth the drive is Sudeley Castle, with its captivating Tudor history, beautiful gardens with animal sculptures, and a fab adventure playground. Family entry costs from £52.20 ( Meanwhile, closer to the hotel, the Jet Age Museum has sweet volunteers and the chance to sit in a Vulcan bomber cockpit. Entry is free ( REFUEL At country pub The Gloucester Old Spot, tuck into sea bass with rainbow chard and a wild garlic and cashew pesto, £22.95, or Jersey steak and Cotswold Ale pie with champ mash, hispi cabbage and redcurrant gravy, £18.50. The children's fish and chips, £7.95, are quality, too ( 9 Dig into spot-on pub fare at The Gloucester Old Spot Credit: Gloucester Old Spot / Instagram Spoil the kids at Café au Chocolat with eye-popping milkshakes, £4.50, or hot choc piled high with toppings and a chocolate spoon, £5.30 ( Grab coffee at The Hide, and try South African speciality Bobotie – sweet, spiced beef mince with a milky egg topping and rice, £11.65 ( The best beer garden in Tewkesbury is at The Black Bear – try its gin, elderflower, apple and lemon punch, £8.80 ( Then hit local fave Zitto e Mangia for king prawns in a white wine, garlic and tomato sauce with focaccia, £9.95, and carnivora pizza topped with Italian sausage, ham, pancetta, pepperoni, garlic and chilli, £17.95. Finish with pane fritto – deep-fried bread bites with a choc and hazelnut dip – better than those dough balls ( DON'T MISS After an adrenalin high? At 270 Climbing Park you'll find staff who are superb with kids, and indoor climbing and bouldering walls suitable even for pre-schoolers. Plus there are five ace outdoor high-ropes courses and two free-falls. 9 Scale new heights at 270 Climbing Park Credit: Supplied Sessions cost from £12.50 per person ( BOOK IT Double rooms cost from £122 B&B ( Swap Lisbon for. . . Cascais A 20-minute train ride from the Portuguese capital's tram queues and tour groups, you'll find a brilliant beach break at Legacy Hotel, Cascais. 9 Cascais' coast with the most THE PAD Cascais' buzzing tapas bars and golden sands are a mere 10-minute stroll from this 59-room beaut, a member of Hilton's Curio Collection. Perfect for a chic couple's getaway, expect flamboyant interiors downstairs and calming art-deco rooms upstairs, dotted with gold, velvet and walnut accents. 9 The Legacy Hotel in Portugal is a member of Hilton's Curio Collection Credit: Supplied by The Hilton - eduardo_ramos_fotos Our faves are those with patios, rain showers and baths. Cosy up at the indoor pool and sauna, while the outdoor pool is perfect for dips between sunbathing. Restaurant Don Alfonso 1890 serves outstanding tagliolini pasta with sea urchins, lime and mint, £20. But save room for the pastel de natas at the breakfast buffet come morning. EXPLORE Stop by Bom Pastor for a souvenir bottle of local wine (owner Antonio is a gem), before taking your pick of the town's four beaches – small and sheltered Praia da Rainha gets our vote. Then follow the mosaic-tiled streets to gorgeous ceramics at Galeria 5050 (@Galeria_5050). 9 Put your feet up poolside at Legacy Hotel Credit: Supplied by The Hilton Later, climb the tower at Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães and check out a manuscript from 1505 in its library, entry £4.50, before taking a coastal walk to Boca do Inferno, a cliff formation known as the Devil's Mouth, for stunning sunset views over the Atlantic. REFUEL Lively Mana serves up moreish shrimp risotto with lime and basil, £12, and duck magret with parsnip and pomegranate, £15.50 ( For a traditional seafood experience, hit Marisco na Praça in Cascais' main market and order garlic prawns, £12, and dory fish with garlic-bread mash, £15 ( 9 Chocs away at Mana Cascais Credit: Mana Cascais Instagram Take your pick of excellent ice cream – our tip is the almond torrone, £4 – at Portugal's oldest ice-cream maker, Santini ( Meanwhile, at Cantina do Avillez the starters reign supreme. We loved the marinated scallops with avocado cream and Alentejo bread crumble, £11.50, and fried eggs with steak sauce and truffle, £8.50. Sip on a gin and grapefruit Paris St Germain cocktail, £10.50, as you go ( DON'T MISS The courtyard of Le Café Albatroz is almost as pretty as its flower-adorned crab éclairs, £7. A hop from the beach, it's perfect for people-watching with a chilled glass of rosé, £6 ( BOOK IT Doubles cost from £118 per night (
Daily Record
4 hours ago
- Daily Record
Spain hit by storm and hail warning as cars underwater after torrential rain
A whopping 100mm deluge hit the region as a weather warning was issued to 25 provinces. A Brit holiday hotspot in Spain has been issued with severe storm and hail warnings after a huge 100mm of water hit the area - leaving cars submerged in the rain waters. Weather warnings have been issued for 25 Spanish provinces, with eight of them placed on an orange caution, by Spain's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET). Shocking images showed the aftermath after a staggering rain deluge in just one hour in the city of Tarazona, in the Zaragoza province. The banks of the Ebro River, which runs through the city, were put on a red alert yesterday, July 11. This alert is set to remain in place late into this evening after terrifying videos showed cars submerged in the murky rain waters that caused urban flooding in the holiday hotspot, reports the Mirror. Outdoor chairs and tables at restaurants quickly ditched in the extreme weather were also seen being battered by the rising water levels throughout the streets of Tarazona. Local rescue teams scrambled to over 30 flood-related incidents in the past two days, which included blocked roads and fallen trees, but thankfully no casualties have been reported. Spain's The Military Emergency Unit (UME) was also send to towns in the Zaragoza region to aid with the extreme weather conditions. Orange-level weather warnings, which alert locals about possible severe storms, were issued for eight places in Spain, many of which are havens for British tourists. These places include Huesca, Teruel, Zaragoza, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, Tarragona and Castellón. These areas could be battered by storms and experience floods, which could throw holidays plans into chaos for many of those travelling to Spain. A red weather warning was even issued earlier today in Spain's Catalonia region, but this threat has since decreased. This extreme weather was caused by a high-level depression, also known as a cold drop, according to Sur. Areas in the north of Spain were hit particularly hard by today's extreme weather due to likelihood of flash floods in valleys, ravines and gullies". AEMET predicted around 50 litres per square metre of rain could hit the neighbouring Aragon and Catalonia regions, in the north. Other major areas, loved by British tourists, were also issued weather warnings, including Alicante and Valencia. Even the Balearic Islands were issued a yellow weather warning earlier today. Despite this, not all parts of Spain were battered with heavy weather and urban flooding as the southeast of the nation saw sweltering hot temperatures. Areas like Murcia, Alicante, inland Andalusia, and parts of Extremadura, are set to see boiling hot temperatures reaching nearly 40C, providing Spain with a sharp contrast in extreme weather conditions battering the country.
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
The overlooked European city that's a better summer holiday alternative with ‘bread' saunas and new Ryanair flights
The country offers so much more than just ski resorts from spa culture to stunning landscapes THE BREW DANUBE The overlooked European city that's a better summer holiday alternative with 'bread' saunas and new Ryanair flights Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) I HAVE been in many saunas during my life, but never one that doubles up as an oven for baking bread. But that's exactly why the Eurothermen Spa in Bad Schallerbach, Austria, is so unique. 5 Josie Griffiths enjoys the view of the Danube Loop Credit: Josie Griffiths 5 The fabulous Eurothermen Resort Credit: Oberösterreich Tourismus GmbH/Robert Maybach Perched on a wooden bench, I spend 15 minutes in there, watching a freshly kneaded Salzstangerl — a traditional Austrian salted bread stick — rise to perfection in the wall oven opposite me. When the sauna session is over, we sink our teeth into still-warm baguettes, which are seriously tasty. But there's one fact that could turn your stomach — everyone was naked. Well, except for me. This prudish Brit sat with a towel clasped tightly around her, despite the 70C heat. When I wasn't baking myself next to loaves, I was cooling down in the Ice Grotto, then sweating again in the Most-Fassl, a cider barrel thought to be the largest in the world, converted into a sauna. With such unusual delights, it's a surprise to me that Austria is often overlooked as a summer holiday destination by us Brits. The country offers so much more than just ski resorts. A booming spa culture is just one example, stunning landscapes are another. During my trip, I stay in three different towns in Upper Austria, on the banks of the River Danube. There are now direct flights to Linz from Stansted twice a week, thanks to a new Ryanair route which took off this April. Martin Lewis warns about strict passport rule that could see you board your flight - only to get sent home on arrival One of the highlights of the area is the Danube Loop, a point where the river turns a dramatic 180-degree bend — a sight not to be missed. Conveniently, this is located directly opposite my first hotel of the trip — the four-star Riverresort Donauschlinge — where the restaurant terrace offers awe-inspiring views of the landscape. Potent pint Asparagus cordon bleu, spaetzle (pasta) and cream soup are among the Austrian delicacies on the menu. Aside from serving excellent grub, the hotel sits directly on the Danube Limes World Heritage route, a riverside cycle track which includes stops at well-preserved Roman ruins and the Schutz Art Museum. Travellers can also visit the Engelszell Abbey, which is more than just a monastery with a stunning ceiling mural. The monks produce schnapps, which tastes similar to Jagermeister, and beers of up to 10.5 per cent alcohol — a potent pint. 5 Visit the unique Engelszell Abbey Credit: WGDDonauOberösterreichTourismusGmbHCarlettoPhotopgraphy 5 Explore the pretty town of Grieskirchen 5 The monks brewery at Engelszell Abbey Credit: WGDDonauOberösterreichTourismusGmbHCarlettoPhotopgraphy Mostschank Greinecker restaurant has a great sparkling apple cider (famous in the region), with cheese, more schnapps and apple strudel. A small, family-run restaurant, with gorgeous hillside views, it's the perfect spot for a cosy dinner. Then you can stumble into bed at the Parkhotel Stroissmuller, which has its own cracking spa, too. If you'd rather stay in Linz itself, the Park Inn by Radisson offers comfortable, modern rooms just minutes from the tram stop. Known for being an industrial, steel-producing city, Linz has a gorgeous, quaint old town. It was bombed heavily during World War Two, and today there's a mixture of buildings from different eras. Have lunch at Stiegl-Klosterhof, where beef goulash, sausage and cheese-soaked pretzels can line your stomach before you sip the brewery's own beers. Or try Gruner Veltliner, a tasty Austrian white wine. And don't worry if you knock back one too many — Linz's town slogan is: Take a risk, visit Linz.
