Problems using a passport with less than 6 months on it??

[Big Worm 1]

Hi

I'm hoping you guys can help solve this worry for me. I'm going away at the end of this month to Tenerife for 10 nights but i have just realised that my passport runs out in July.

Speaking to travel agents, they recommend you have at least 6 months on it, but i rang the passport office and they told me to look on https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/ent...

This website states that "Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay. No additional period of validity beyond this is required."

So going off that, i should be fine going on holiday as planned, but i just want to be 110% sure i'm not going to have any problems.

Has anyone had any problems of this kind or am i worrying about nothing?

[jesta1865]

i will be honest and say i have heard this, but never actually met anyone who has been refused travel for it. seems pointless that you have an end date to a passport if people just take 6 months off the date.

sorry not much help but i can't see why you would have an issue, if you were going for work or something yes i could see that.

[SimonMaidenhead]

Pretty sure this only applies to countries that will have to issue you a visa upon entry, and as you're travelling within Europe you shouldn't have any worries.

[Amateurish]

No worries in the EU. Last month I travelled on my passport with only a few days validity, no problems at all.

[a340driver]

Amateurish said:

No worries in the EU. Last month I travelled on my passport with only a few days validity, no problems at all.

Quite right!

[Puggit]

SimonMaidenhead said:

Pretty sure this only applies to countries that will have to issue you a visa upon entry, and as you're travelling within Europe you shouldn't have any worries.

This.

There are no restrictions within the EU regarding length of time on the passport.

[Big Worm 1]

Thanks a lot folks!

I can now look forward to my holiday!

[Ej74]

Be careful in this situation

I managed to travel to Japan with less than 6 months left but was refused a visa for a trip to Indonesia only 1 month later.

[ColinM50]

I'm pretty sure it's just a safeguard in the event that say you had an accident and were hospitalised, or even sillier a volcano erupted somewhere and all the flights were grounded for a couple of weeks, then you'd be without a valid passport. That'd give you all sorts of headaches.

Are you sure you can't get to the PP office and get a new one? Mine expires in December and I've got the forms here in front of me, just waiting to sort out a new piccy then it'll be off for renewal.

[ColinM50]

I'm pretty sure it's just a safeguard in the event that say you had an accident and were hospitalised, or even sillier a volcano erupted somewhere and all the flights were grounded for a couple of weeks, then you'd be without a valid passport. That'd give you all sorts of headaches.

Are you sure you can't get to the PP office and get a new one? Mine expires in December and I've got the forms here in front of me, just waiting to sort out a new piccy then it'll be off for renewal.

[Highway Star]

I had serious trouble getting on a flight from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur with my passport having five months left on it in February. Lots of pleading, calls to work (it was a work conference) etc., eventually got me on.

Went to Belgium at the end of February, no trouble. EU, especially if no further destination, you should be ok.

[anonymous-user]

Kl is a problem, I've been turned off same flight with 5months to go, so it can happen, not worth the risk to me change it.

[LuS1fer]

You'll be fine. Just change it when you get back - the new passport runs from the expiry date of the old one.