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Passport warning as tour operators give Brits WRONG advice – and holidaymakers could get thousands of pounds back

A PASSPORT mistake could mean holidaymakers can claim thousands of pounds back if they were stopped from boarding a flight.

There are two new rules which Brits must follow when it comes to their passport and when it expires.

PA:Press Association
New passport rules have meant that holidaymakers have incorrectly been stopped from boarding their flights[/caption]

Since the UK left the European Union, there have been two important changes to British passports.

These are:

  • Passports must have no more than 10 years of validity on them (any additional months are no longer included)
  • Passports must have at least three months left on them to travel to countries in the EU

In recent months, passengers have been stopped from boarding their flights after their passports didn’t meet both of these rules.

Passenger Abi Campbell was stopped from boarding her flight back earlier this year from to Glasgow from Tenerife after being told her passport was not valid.

Despite expiring in May 2022, the issue date was August 2011 – meaning it is only valid up to August 2021, under the new rules.

The government state: “The three months you need when leaving a country must be within 10 years of the passport issue date.”

However, according to the Independent, the EU is still allowing Brits to have more than 10 years on their passport, with the previous rules allowing holders to roll up to nine months over from their old passport.

Yet an EU spokesperson told the newspaper that the two rules do not have to work in conjunction with each other, and that the extra months can be used for travel.

For example, someone with a passport issued in October 2011, which has an expiry date in April 2022, could still travel to the EU until October 2021 on the passport, and stay for up to 90 days.

TUI has since said that they have “changed the policy accordingly” and that passengers won’t be stopped from boarding.

They said: “Following new information provided, we can confirm that we have now changed our policy accordingly. Customers will not be denied boarding on the basis that their passport needs to meet both conditions dependently.”

And a government spokesperson said that the Schengen Borders Code “wasn’t clear” and that they made “no apology for taking a risk averse approach”.

Brits who have been stopped from boarding their flight could get thousands of pounds back if they were stopped from boarding and lost their money.

MONEY BACK

Air passenger rights mean travellers can claim up to £350 if denied boarding, as well as a full refund of their flights – meaning potentially thousands of pounds.

We’ve explained your holiday rights including how to claim a refund.

The government has also warned that Brits are waiting up to 10 weeks to get a new passport, up from the usual three.

Mobile reminders have been sent to Brits by the government, stating: “Reminder: It takes up to 10 weeks to get a new passport. Don’t leave it too late, renew now.”

This means that holidaymakers wanting to go away, but have to renew their passport, may have to wait until the end of November to get their documents back – ruining holiday plans.

Alamy
Brits who have travelled recently should check if they were denied boarding when they shouldn’t have been[/caption]


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