Just read today about entry into European Countries. When was the last time you checked your British passport? Expats thinking of a trip back home on a British passport via a EU country could possibly be caught out by the 10 year ruling, best to check it out.
If I'm not wrong, UK passports for adults have a validity of ten years, so any valid passport must logically have been issued less than 10 years ago.
Apparently in the more recent past you were allowed up to an extra period of nine months, however prior to that, I have in my mind that you did have a choice of Passport period and validity priced accordingly ? I might be wrong.
You are NOT wrong Mr JB. This issue is due to the fact that, for many years, those renewing their passport before the previous one expired were able to add any remaining time left. Prior to September 2018, you could have up to nine months added to the replacement’s 10-year length – meaning their passport could be 'valid' for as long as 10 years and nine months. My own passport was in fact valid for 10 years and 6 months. However, on entering a foreign country (I have read only of the EU having their knickers in a twist over this) when the passport appears valid for, say, 10 years and 9 months then immigration will refuse entry if it is older than 10 years. This appears to be a trivial piece of petty revenge by the EU for Brexit but too little and too late!
A BBC article on this published today: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-68677938 What a pointless piece of EU tripe! Still can't get over the fact we left them to decline on their own.
I agree, it should be up to the issuing country to decide how long a passport is valid. However, the ones falling foul of the 10 year rule in part also have themselves to blame, apparently the UK government tried to warn them.
Yes it's true they have only themselves to blame, but what it highlights for non frequent travellers is the need to double check everthing before leaving for that once in a while trip, ten years is long time to it'a expiry date. I have just checked my Driving licence, which once issued was continuous till 70 yrs of age, being older than that one needs to renew it every 3/4 years depending on the older you get, checking it this morning, I found mine expires next February, where I will need to renw it. Reading over this thread about Passports made me think to check it out too! TV licence reminders are sent out every year in UK, surely Passport renewal reminders are just as important, for one thing, it helps prove you are still alive!
It is entirely reasonable that people of around average intelligence look at their passports to see the expiry date as that is what every country usually focuses on. However the EU in all its brilliance decided to look at duration and ignored when the issuing country had stated it expired. It is very petty of the EU and the UK is best out of it. I am aware that the UK government started warning people but that was AFTER the EU had already been turning people away, so ruining their holidays and costing them money they could hardly afford to lose. No-one deliberately attempted to thwart the immigration rules and the EU should have shown some sensitivity. And how to reach people with warnings when many don't read newspapers and are glued to EastEnders and other soaps? Perhaps this issue should have been featured as part of the storylines.
