If you’re planning a holiday abroad this summer and you’re using an old red passport, it’s crucial to check its expiry date before you fly due to strict entry requirements in other countries. Many nations require your passport to be valid for an additional six months before you depart for international travel.
This is known as the ‘six-month validity rule’, and many individuals still using old red passports from before Brexit may risk their documents not having enough remaining validity. VisaGuide.World states that there are 70 countries that adhere to the six-month passport rule, while another 41 implement the three-month passport validity rule – this means travellers can enter these countries if their passport is valid for at least three more months.
But these websites are not official sources so you should always check on the GOV.UK website – where you can see the rules for the country you’re travelling to, and check whether your passport is valid for your upcoming trip. Simply search for your destination country and click on ‘entry requirements’. However, bear in mind that you can only stay for a maximum of 90 days within a six-month period.
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If you still have a red passport, which are no longer being issued post-Brexit, it’s vital to check its expiry date. Post-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.
Most people assume that an adult passport lasts 10 years, but if your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months might have been added to its expiry date if the previous passport was renewed before it fully expired. This is a change from when the UK was part of the European Union, where there were no restrictions on the length of stay.
Here is what VisaGuide.World says:
70 countries that have a six-month passport rule:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Canada* Cambodia, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cote D’Ivoire, Curacao, 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, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
*Canada only has this requirement for people travelling from some countries – check with an embassy before travelling.
41 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, 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.
**These countries require a 3-month passport validity from your arrival date into the country. Schengen countries require that you have a passport validity of 3 months from the date you intend to leave the EU.
***Not listed on VisaGuide.World but does have a three-month passport rule – check GOV.UK for each country before travel
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).