Guidance on passport validity periods

If your passport is burgundy or has “European Union” on the cover, it can be used until it expires

In order to use an adult or child passport to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland) it will need to be valid for at least 6 months from the date of travel.

If the current passport was renewed before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the 6 months needed.

By clicking on the following link, it is possible to check whether a passport needs to be renewed before travelling to Europe from 1 January 2021.

Check a passport for travel to Europe from 1 January 2021

Government guidance is that the passport must be renewed before travelling if the relevant validity period remaining on the passport is less than that needed for the country of destination.