If you still own a red passport, you might want to pay close attention to the expiry date.
A warning has been issued to any Brits who still have red passports, ahead of summer holiday travel.
That’s because many countries require your passport to be valid for another six months before you leave for international travel.
Also known as the ‘six-month validity rule’, lots of people using old red passports (issued before Brexit) may run a risk of their documents not having long enough left – and being refused entry to certain countries, as a result.
According to VisaGuide.World, there are 70 countries that follow the six-month passport rule, including the likes of Thailand, United Arab Emirates and many countries in Central America.
While another 41 apply the three-month passport validity rule – including lots of spots in Europe.
Red passport holders have been urged to check their passport expiry date ahead of any upcoming trips, to check they have long enough left, so they aren’t turned away at the borders (resulting in a ruined and non-existent holiday).
For those worried about travelling, you can check if your passport will be valid for your trip on GOV.UK. You just need to search for the country you’re going to and click on ‘entry requirements’.
You can also only stay for a maximum of 90 days within a six-month period – unlike arrangements before the UK left the EU.
If you have a new blue passport, fear not, this warning doesn’t apply to you – as these were issued after March 2020.
Countries and their passport rules…
70 countries that have a six-month passport rule:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Curacao, Cote D’Ivoire, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana., Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Somaliland, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe
41 countries that have a three-month passport rule:
Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein., Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Countries with other validity rules:
Bermuda (45 days upon entry), Eritrea (three months on arrival), Hong Kong (three months on arrival), Lebanon (three months on arrival), Macau (three months on arrival), Micronesia (four months on arrival), South Africa (three months on arrival), The Maldives (three months on arrival), and Zambia (four months on arrival).
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