Brits heading abroad during summer holidays urged to renew passports today

BRITS have been urged to renew their passports today if they don't want their holidays to be ruined this summer.

People have already started jetting off on their holidays, but some could be in for a nasty shock if their passports don't meet the necessary requirements.

To prevent that from happening, the Post Office has announced a 'Check Your Passport Day' today (June 13) to minimise the amount of people whose expired passports deny them a sunny break.

The initiative provides holidaymakers with a timely reminder, marking six weeks before the onset of peak summer international travel.

This provides travellers with enough time to renew their documents, or factor in additional checks that may be required if applying for a first-time passport before travelling.

Official government guidance is three weeks for a standard passport renewal, but this could take longer if applying for the first time.

Post Office research has revealed that more than a third of UK passport holders (36 per cent) are unaware of their passport expiry date without having to check.

Meanwhile, a quarter (26 per cent) of respondents have forgotten to renew their passports before it expired at least once, while 12 per cent say they never renew their passport before the expiry date.

Seven in ten (69 per cent) respondents agree that there should be more awareness or reminders when it comes to passport expiry and renewal.

That has led to the Post Office's campaign, designed to raise awareness to ensure the public feel in control and avoid any potential complications while heading off on their holidays. 

Elinor Hull, Director of Government and Identity Services at Post Office said, "Customers are advised by His Majesty’s Passport Office not to book travel until they have a valid passport. 

"As our research shows that many customers do not do this, and with the summer holidays fast approaching, it's crucial for travellers to ensure their passports are up to date to avoid any unexpected surprises at the check-in desk.

"By designating June 13 as Check Your Passport Day, six weeks before the peak summer travel period, we want to remind people across the country to take a proactive approach in safeguarding their travel plans, to ensure holidaymakers have peace of mind, and a renewed passport, in time for their holidays.”

Even if your passport is yet to expire, it could still prevent you from going on holiday.

Despite being introduced in 2021, many travellers are still unaware of certain passport rules when booking a foreign holiday.

And people are even being caught out the border - and forced to miss their flights.

The Sun's Travel Editor Lisa Minot has explained exactly what Brits need to know.

She said: "In order to travel to the EU, all passports must be no more than 10 years old on the day you arrive in your European destination.

"And you'll need at least three months on your passport on the day you head back to the UK.

"Figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than 10 years old.

 "The 10-year rule only applies to countries in the European Union but every country may have different rules on what is accepted.

"Some countries like South Africa, for example, insist you have at least six months left on your passport when you travel and a full clear page."

Meanwhile, these are the tourist mistakes people always make in this popular holiday destination.

And this is how to avoid common tourist mistakes in Spain.