Beat the summer rush: Simon Calder reveals everything you need to know about renewing your passport
Thankfully renewals are taking around two weeks. So people who spot a problem now and who are holidaying from the second half of July onwards should be able to rescue the situation without resorting to the expensive and inconvenient fast-track route.
These are the key points for passport contentedness this summer.
European Union – almost all of it
Most British summer holidaymakers are going to destinations in the EU or wider Schengen area (including Iceland, Norway and Switzerland). After Brexit, the UK opted to become a 'third country', placing UK passport holders on a par with those from Venezuela. That means for all EU/Schengen countries bar Denmark and Ireland, a UK passport must:
Be under 10 years old on the date of entry.
Have at least three months remaining on the intended day of departure.
For example, a British passport issued on 1 August 2015 and valid until 1 May 2026 can be used to enter the EU up to and including 31 July 2025, for a stay of up to 90 days (but less if the holder has already spent some time in the Schengen area in the past 180 days).
What's different about Denmark and Ireland?
Denmark, for reasons known only to itself, imposes a stricter rule that breaches Schengen area regulations. Officials say the passport must be under 9 years 9 months on the day of arrival. The Independent has made repeated representations to Copenhagen and Brussels for Denmark to align with the Schengen rules, but to no avail.
British travellers to Ireland do not need passports to enter – though Ryanair demands passengers carry valid passports, with no date stipulation.
How long will it take me to get a replacement passport?
Andy Anderson, who runs the Passport Waiting Time website, says: 'We've seen passport processing times for both first-time applications and renewals increase slightly over the past couple of months. However, turnaround times remain relatively quick.
'First adult passports are currently averaging 19 calendar days, while renewals are taking around 14 days.'
He has developed a passport validity checker that aims to help travellers prepare for their journeys.
Will I need an Etias permit?
No. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (Etias, also known as an 'e-visa') cannot take effect before October 2026 at the earliest.
Etias will be introduced at least six months after the EU's much delayed entry-exit system (EES) is running smoothly.
The latest plan from Brussels is that the EES will start in a limited way in October 2025, with a six-month roll out.
Can I use the e-gates across Europe?
Who knows? Ministers have talked plenty of tosh about Brussels agreeing to let British passengers use e-gates on arrival and departure from the Schengen area. Each nation makes its own decisions, and so the bureaucratic landscape is a patchwork. Gradually more countries are adding the UK to nationalities that can use their e-gates, but there is no uniformity.
Thanks to Brexit, you will also need to be manually stamped in and out in addition to the e-gates.
Incidentally, hundreds of airports across Europe have now installed entry-exit system kiosks, which some arriving passengers have confused with e-gates. They are entirely separate; the kiosks are simply to take fingerprints and facial biometrics before proceeding to the border.
For many countries, your passport is valid up to and including its expiry date. These include Australia, Barbados, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Tunisia and the US.
For the avoidance of doubt, the only part of the world that cares when your passport is issued is the EU. Elsewhere, only the expiry date is relevant. Ignore anyone who tells you 'British passports run out after 10 years'.
Which popular destinations have trickier red tape?
Turkey: "To enter Turkey, your passport must have an 'expiry date' at least 150 days after the date you arrive and at least one blank page,' says the Foreign Office. Oddly, if you apply for a visa for Turkey, the minimum validity drops to 90 days.
Morocco: 'Your passport must have an 'expiry date' at least three months after the date you arrive,' says the Foreign Office.
UAE (including Dubai and Abu Dhabi): 'Your passport must have an 'expiry date' at least six months after the date you arrive … If you're travelling through the UAE and not passing through immigration, your passport must have an expiry date at least three months after the date you will transit.'
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