Two travelers said they left the departure gates because their documents did not meet the requirements. It is an issue that is becoming more urgent due to delays in processing passport applications, as travel demand recovers after the COVID-19 pandemic. The government website states that passports must meet two requirements for those planning to visit an EU country (excluding Ireland).
Must be under 10 years old – from the date of issue – on the day you enter your destination They must remain valid for at least three months after your departure
However, for some Schengen countries, your passport “may need to be less than 10 years old during your entire stay”, the advice warns. All three months after the end of your visit “may need to be within 10 years of the date of issue of your passport”. The Schengen area includes 26 EU countries that have abolished all passports and all other border controls at their mutual borders. While the UK government says it is “asking the European Commission to clarify the 10-year rule”, the directives on “Schengen border guards may not be updated until spring 2022”. A woman wrote on Facebook about her “overwhelming disappointment” after “she was turned away at the departure gate for a flight to Tenerife due to a problem with my passport”. This happened despite the fact that it did not end “until March 2023”. And 66-year-old Ian Glover, a retired chartered inspector, said he was withdrawn from a check-in office at East Midlands Airport on April 25 because his passport was not close enough to the end of his planned trip to Faro in the Algarve. . He told Derbyshire Live: “It also takes three months from the release date. This is not clear at all.” Read more from Sky News: The airline passenger who spat at the crew and tried to open the door during the flight received a fine record. Face masks on flights “could be imposed for years”
