Passport advice - Page 2

If passport was issued February 2014, it actually won’t be recognized after February 2024 as the two extra months are no longer recognized.

As it stands, you won’t have three months recognized as being available on date of travel.

You’d be better to get it sorted sooner rather than later.

Think he's made his mind up!!

Let him learn the hard way.haha.

Oh thank you for that. I am sure that I was unkind to you but I can’t think when 🤔

Thanks Dario 👍 Spanish Embassy in London and Consulate in Edinburgh contradicted both sets of advice one said yes the other said it would be at the discretion of border control. I have made an appointment at Glasgow passport office just to be sure. Thanks again

De nada - good luck and enjoy the visit

I think your passport is supposed run for only 10 years from the date of ISSUE as no passport can be for more than 10 years - which not always the same as the date of expiry.  

Reading a post this wk,same prodictive as yourself they were refused boarding by the handlers it was a total loss money inconvenience and he was still refused a flight.but next day he got another flight with same passport with a different airline. 

Just saying it's a lottery me personally like others have stated why chance it???.when u need a new passport anyway? Good luck.

A friend of a friend works as a travel agent and sent me an email that they received from ABTA this summer.

“ Travel to Europe now that we have left the EU

With the UK no longer a Member of the European Union (EU), the following requirements now apply to British passport holders when travelling to countries in the EU (except Ireland), as well as Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City.

Your passport must be:

1. Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (so check the ‘date of issue’)
2. Valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave (so check the ‘date of expiry’).

For example, if you are entering the EU on 21 July 2023 and returning to the UK on 4 August 2023, your passport must:

1. Have been issued less than 10 years before 21 July 2023.
2. Be valid for at least three months after 4 August 2023.

If your current passport was issued before 1 October 2018, you might have had extra months from your previous passport added to its expiry date. These extra months do count towards the required three months that you will need on your passport on the day you plan to leave, but it does mean that it’s even more important to check that your passport will also be less than 10 years old on the date you enter the EU. If you’re travelling with children, don’t forget that British passports for under 16s are only valid for five years. This means they will automatically meet the first rule of being issued less than 10 years before entering the EU, so you just need to check it will meet the second rule – that it will be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave.”

Her advice is that my passport is valid for this trip but that I should print the ABTA email and take it with me just in case. 

She said that the people who are refused have more added months than 3 which means that their passport is more than 10 years old hence why they are refused. I wish that I had asked her first before I paid an extra £100 pounds for my fast track passport 🤦‍♂️

The challenge you face is that on arrival in Spain, it is wholly dependent on the border force official on the day.  Some will barely glance at your passport, others will scrutinize it, some will be in agreement with the email above … others will interpret it differently (as is so prevalent here) .. as evidenced by the differing answers you’ve received both here and from Embassy / Consulate, there exists a great deal of confusion still about the extra months added … this confusion can lead to upsets.  The email would carry no weight at the Spanish border at all unfortunately.  The £100 you’ve paid you can think of as insurance that your travel will be hassle-free 

This is sound advice, there is no point risking your expiring passport when you will very shortly need to renew it anyway. The individual at the immigration desk may well say ok this time, but if it's Ryanair they can be tough, think about their attitude to cabin baggage, and get a new one before you travel.