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Passport Issue Date - warning!

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mokryna Mon 13-Oct-25 16:35:28

My passport had sufficient weeks when I booked a return flight to the UK. I entered Liverpool and stayed for the ten days as planned and returned to the airport to come back to France.
I showed my passports for a paper boarding pass, I showed them to both English and French immigration posts and then I waited in the queue to board the plane. I showed my boarding card and passports at the point the Uk airline staff allow passengers to go down the passage for boarding the plane and I was stopped. I was told my UK passport did have enough valid days and that I wouldn’t be allowed on the plane. As I have double citizenship (forced on me through Brexit) I showed my French passport again and other French papers and ID explaining I lived in France. No, I was to step aside.
The person in charge was called, then two other phone calls were made. Was I an illegal trying to leave the UK? I was being stopped because my UK passport was going to expire the following week or so.
I didn’t get bussed off to the cells and was finally allowed to board. Embarrassing.

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GrannyGravy13 Mon 13-Oct-25 16:21:18

vegansrock

And thanks to Brexit we are having to have digital ID checks at Shengen from November. And my French relatives have to buy a visa to visit UK.

Digital ID began its roll out yesterday.

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westendgirl Mon 13-Oct-25 16:14:22

It might have been posted several times, but there's nothing like a reminder.

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vegansrock Mon 13-Oct-25 16:08:41

And thanks to Brexit we are having to have digital ID checks at Shengen from November. And my French relatives have to buy a visa to visit UK.

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Allira Mon 13-Oct-25 16:05:40

Reminder to self - check passports!

Thank you Schnakie

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PaynesGrey Mon 13-Oct-25 15:48:34

Before 2018, the Passport Office would add leftover months from an early renewal onto a new passport. These extra months no longer count for EU travel.

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GrannyGravy13 Mon 13-Oct-25 15:45:29

Oops premature posting.

UK passports no longer have months added they run for 10 yrs only.

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LOUISA1523 Mon 13-Oct-25 15:44:45

This isn't new....there have been countless threads on countless forums about it ......they added the months before brexit when it was allowed...after brexit the eu said no 🤷‍♀️

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GrannyGravy13 Mon 13-Oct-25 15:44:42

This has been flagged many times over the last few years.

Since Brexit UK passports when travelling to an EU country are only valid 10 years from their start date, regardless of the expiration date shown in the passport.

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Schnackie2 Mon 13-Oct-25 15:09:18

Perhaps this should be in the "Worst Start to a Holiday" thread. But on Sunday the 28th of September, my best friend and I travelled to Gatwick Airport for the start of long-planned 10 day, all-inclusive holiday in Kos, Greece. I have been aware for a long time, that you must have 6 months remaining on your passport before expiration. My passport expires in May of next year (2026), so 8 months left! When we went to check in, my friend had no problem at all, and then I handed over my passport to the BA attendant. She looked at it and told me I could not fly!!! I was mortified and she explained that even though it did not expire for 8 months, the ISSUE date was actually 17 September 2015 and as that was over ten years ago, I was not allowed to fly!! My friend and I panicked a bit, then sat down and had a drink (her, a pint to start her holiday, me - coffee as I knew I needed to use my brain.) Only by the grace of God, was I able to travel the next day and join my friend in Greece. I became a British citizen in 2006 (originally from USA) and obtained a UK passport which I have travelled on ever since (renewing, obviously prior to 2016). After the pandemic when travel restrictions eased up, I booked a trip to the US to see my dear grandchildren! I found out, that the US at that time (summer 2021) was only letting American passport holders in, so I got an appointment at the US embassy in London and obtained a US passport. Back to the current trip to Kos, I got myself back home, picked up the US passport, had to book a new return flight at my own expense, which fortunately was not as expensive as I dreaded it might be, and I got to Kos to join my friend the next day.
Sorry for the long post, but neither my friend nor I, nor any of our acquaintances, knew of this "ten year issue date" restriction (apparently thanks to Brexit). I just want to make others aware of it to avoid a nasty surprise at the airport like I had. If I hadn't had the US passport at home, I suppose I could have tried to get an emergency UK passport, but it would have taken at least a few days, extra expense, etc. My final question, is "when you renew your passport, WHY do they add all those extra months on at the end,?" which creates this problem in the first place!!??

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