Brits going on holiday abroad face being turned away at check-in if they fail to meet a strict passport rule.
Not only does a passport have to meet the required validity date, it also has to be in good condition or you risk being denied travel. Government rules state that any passport that is damaged must be replaced or you may not be allowed to travel with it, especially if it makes your personal details difficult to read. Passports that have rips, tears, holes or water damage can be rejected, but new research shows as many as 9.6 million travellers are unaware of this rule, leaving millions open to problems at the airport.
Financial services company Go.Compare has warned that this passport mistake is set to catch out two in five Brits this year as travellers are unaware of these rules and many don’t realise that if they can’t travel because of these errors, they won’t be covered by travel insurance.
Rhys Jones, travel insurance expert at Go.Compare, explains: "Unfortunately, you likely won’t be covered under your travel insurance for any costs incurred from passport problems preventing your departure. That’s why it’s so important to know the rules for any destination you plan to visit and to check your passport well before you travel.
"You can check passport validity requirements for different countries on the UK government's foreign travel advice page. If you’re not sure if your passport will be in date, it’s better to be on the safe side and renew it before you attempt to travel."
HM Passport Office considers a passport to be damaged if any of the following five criteria are met:
Passports with significant damage, like torn pages, a detached cover, or unreadable personal details, should be replaced, but minor wear and tear, such as a bent cover, shouldn’t generally affect its validity.
If you need to replace your passport, you can apply on GOV.UK for a new one at a cost of £94.50 for an adult passport, or £61.50 for a child’s passport. If you opt to replace your passport using a paper application form you’ll pay a slightly higher fee of £107 for an adult, or £74 for a child.
Holidaymakers are urged to apply in good time before travelling to ensure they receive their passport in time. In 2024, where no further information was required, 99.7% of standard applications from the UK were processed within three weeks.
