A post-Brexit rule concerning the issue date of UK passports has led to numerous British travelers being denied boarding for flights to the European Union, resulting in lost holiday time and significant financial costs. The regulation, often referred to as the '10-year rule,' stipulates that passports must have been issued less than 10 years prior to the date of entry into most EU countries, regardless of the printed expiry date.
This rule has caught out travelers like Bolaji Omisade, who was prevented from boarding a flight to Greece with her family at London Gatwick Airport. Despite her passport not being expired, airport staff informed her that it had been issued more than 10 years earlier, thus failing to meet EU entry requirements. Omisade reported that she had not been aware of this specific rule, having only checked the expiry date. The situation led to her husband and two sons traveling without her, while she returned home with their youngest son. She later incurred approximately £700 in additional expenses for an emergency passport, a hotel stay, and new flights to join her family later in the holiday. Omisade has since advocated for clearer communication of this rule by airlines and booking platforms.
Another traveler, Chelsea Rodd, experienced a similar issue last year when attempting to fly to Milan. Her passport, while valid until April 2026, was issued over 10 years prior. This was due to a previous practice of adding unused validity months from old passports to new ones. Before September 2018, the UK passport office allowed this rollover, meaning some passports issued before that date could be valid for longer than 10 years. However, for travel to the EU and Schengen Area countries, these extra months are no longer counted, and the passport must be less than 10 years old on the day of entry. Rodd was unable to obtain an emergency passport in time and consequently missed her trip.
The EU's '10-year rule' for passport validity came into effect for UK citizens after Brexit in January 2021. This regulation means that the validity of a passport is calculated from its issue date, not its expiry date. For travel to the EU and Schengen Area countries, passports also require at least three months of validity remaining from the planned date of departure from these areas. Travelers are advised to consult the GOV.UK website for specific entry requirements for non-EU countries, as rules vary by destination.