The International Workplace has lastly modified its recommendation on passport validity for journey to the EU after dozens of airline passengers have been wrongly instructed they couldn’t fly.
Officers have modified the wording of journey recommendation to deliver it into line with the European Fee.
It comes after The Impartial reported the plight of passengers turned away at check-in due to the discrepancy, which led airways to use totally different guidelines.
The recommendation for Spain has been modified to inform UK travellers their passport should be:
- Issued lower than 10 years earlier than the date you enter the nation (verify the “date of concern”)
- Legitimate for at the very least three months after the day you intend to go away (verify the “expiry date”)
Recommendation on France, Italy and different EU and wider Schengen locations is anticipated to be up to date shortly.
Beforehand the FCDO journey recommendation for international locations within the European Union and Schengen Space included the deceptive assertion: “For some Schengen international locations your passport might have to be lower than 10 years previous throughout your entire go to, and the three months on the finish of your go to might have to be inside 10 years of your passport’s concern date.”
The Impartial made its personal enquiries and acquired official affirmation correspondence from the European Fee final November.
On 10 November 2021, the correspondence was handed on to the International Workplace with a request “to make sure that all communications from the UK authorities recognise the proper European Union place”.
A International Workplace spokesperson mentioned: “FCDO journey recommendation is saved below fixed evaluate to make sure British travellers are conscious of the dangers and have correct data to assist plan their journey.
“We welcome that the European Fee is now updating its steering with regard to their guidelines affecting some UK passports”
The ambivalence within the UK authorities place has induced widespread confusion and misery.
It has additionally put further strain on HM Passport Workplace, with many travellers searching for early renewal of passports that have been completely legitimate for journey to Europe.
Airways comparable to easyJet and Ryanair beforehand used the International Workplace journey recommendation as grounds for denying boarding to passengers who have been completely entitled to journey. All the main airways are actually aligned with the European Fee guidelines; Ryanair was the final to fall into line.
