The rules around how Brits can enter the European Union have tightened in the wake of Brexit and many are still unaware of the changes.
Before Britain left the EU it was possible to travel in and out freely as long as you had a passport that was not expired. These days however the UK is treated as a “third country” by the EU with tougher border rules for UK citizens to match. Since the end of the Brexit transition phase British passport holders count as “third country nationals” which imposes restrictions on passport issue and expiry dates as well as length of stay when travelling in Europe.
The EU rules for travel in the Schengen Area – comprising most EU countries plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland state: “If you are a non-EU national wishing to visit or travel within the EU, you will need a passport:
- valid for at least three months after the date you intend to leave the EU country you are visiting,
- which was issued within the previous 10 years.”
EU, UK, Borders and European Union signs in London Stansted STN airport (NurPhoto via Getty Images)This means your passport must be under 10 years old on the date of departure to the EU and have three months remaining on the date of return. In the past the UK used to issues credit for “uspent” time when renewing passports, this meant that documents could be issued that were valid for up to 10 years and nine months. For example a passport issued on 31 October 2012 could show an expiry date of 31 July 2023.
Since we left the EU the 10 year rule has kicked in meaning this extra time won’t be counded by EU border officials. The UK government stopped allowing credit for usnpent time in 2018 so passports issued after this date won’t be affected. If your passport was issued 9 years and 364 days ago, you can still enter the EU provided you would still have at least 3 months on it at the time of leaving.
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If you are wrongly turned away you can claim denied boarding compensation (either £220 or £350, depending on the length of the flight) and any costs associated with your trip such as booking another flight on a rival airline, or for wasted car rental and hotel expenses that you could not reclaim. For destinations outside the EU the only consideration with your passport is the expiry date - for destinations such as Australia, the US and Canada, your passport is valid up to and including this date.
Passports for under-16s are usually valid for five years which means even with 0 months credit on it, the passport will still be within the 10 year limit. For trips to the Schengen area British passport holders can stay a maximum of 90 days in any 180 day period.
For British visitors to Ireland there are no limits on passport validity. A passport is not mandatory for British travellers to the RoI but some airlines insist on it. The 90 days in 180 rules is the same for other EU countries outside the Shengen area - including Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania.
Holders of an otherwise valid passport that has been filled up with stamps can still travel. The EU’s Practical Handbook for Border Guards gives rules concerning a: “document enabling a third-country national to cross the border [that] is no longer suitable for affixing a stamp, as there are no longer available pages”.
It says: “In such a case, the third-country national should be recommended to apply for a new passport, so that stamps can continue to be affixed there in the future. However, as an exception – and particularly in the case of regular cross-border commuters – a separate sheet can be used, to which further stamps can be affixed. The sheet must be given to the third-country national. n any case, the lack of empty pages in a passport is not, in itself, a valid and sufficient ground to refuse the entry of a person.”
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