Holidaymakers are being urged to check their passports to avoid any unexpected surprises at the airport.
Most people know to check their passport’s expiry date, but there’s another rule that many Brits aren’t aware of. Anyone jetting off abroad must have at least two empty pages in their passport.
According to the UK Government, a standard e-passport has 34 pages and Frequent Traveller e-Passports, which are often used by people who travel for work, contain 54.
Some countries also require travellers to have two additional visa pages.
Greg Wilson, CEO and travel insurance expert from Quotezone.co.uk, said: “Filling up the pages in your passport may have felt like an unlikely task years ago, but since Brexit, many are finding their passport pages becoming fuller as new rules mean UK passport holders must have their passport stamped each time they enter and leave the EU.”
He added: “If you do run out of pages in your passport, you will have to renew your passport sooner than its expiry date, so make sure to keep a keen eye on the remaining empty pages.”
Holidaymakers and travellers are being reminded to check the expiry date on their passports.
While some countries only require a passport to be valid for the duration of your stay, others like China, Thailand and Turkey demand at least six months beyond this.
The HM Passport Office advises that for most European destinations, your passport should have at least three months left after your planned departure date from the EU.
Wilson also cautioned against falling for websites offering bargain deals on new passports.
“If you are purchasing a new passport, ensure you use only trusted sources,” he said.
Don’t be lured by websites promising express delivery or discounted prices as you could end up out of pocket and having to pay even more to secure a compliant UK passport.”
Fortunately, by November, the European Union is set to introduce an entry-exit system that will replace physical stamping with biometric fingerprint and facial scanning.
However, until this new system is fully operational, it’s prudent to make sure you have extra pages in your passport.
