Assuming she is a British citizen , then no , it must be valid for the duration of the holiday .
So if you're off in July she will have a few weeks left on it before it runs out in October .
So if you're off in July she will have a few weeks left on it before it runs out in October .
you should be aware that some airlines and holiday companies want you to have 6 months left on your passport on your return.
you will neeed to check the T&Cs of whoever you are flying with to be sure
you will neeed to check the T&Cs of whoever you are flying with to be sure
Certain countries have rules that 6 months validity is needed on your passport , that is not an airline or holiday company rule , they are simply passing on that country's rule of which it is your responsibility to ensure you comply .
Tenerife is classified as being in the EU and the ruling from the gov.uk website is that a British passport holder who lives in Britain does not need a visa to enter Spain and at the least only passport validity that covers the duration of the visit
However your point about airlines just goes to show they do get it wrong sometimes
The link below is a question very similar to that asked by boltonlass and answered by Simon Calder http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/simon-calder/simon-calders-holiday-helpdesk-what-are-the-passport-expiry-rules-for-tenerife-8728502.html
Tenerife is classified as being in the EU and the ruling from the gov.uk website is that a British passport holder who lives in Britain does not need a visa to enter Spain and at the least only passport validity that covers the duration of the visit
However your point about airlines just goes to show they do get it wrong sometimes
The link below is a question very similar to that asked by boltonlass and answered by Simon Calder http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/simon-calder/simon-calders-holiday-helpdesk-what-are-the-passport-expiry-rules-for-tenerife-8728502.html
boltonlass,
Given that any remaining time on the passport will be added to the new one, I'd just get it renewed then she's sorted.
Darren
Given that any remaining time on the passport will be added to the new one, I'd just get it renewed then she's sorted.
Darren
Whilst I have a lot of respect for Simon Calder I'm not sure that he's got it right here - if an airline makes it a condition of travel that you have 6 months left on your passport and you have ticked the box to say that you accept their terms and conditions, then you have agreed as part of the contract you have with them that you will have a minimum of 6 months validity on your passport. It's no different from turning up with an overweight/oversized bag. There's no law saying you can only take 15kgs of luggage out of the country with you or into your destination country but woe betide any traveller who tries to argue that that means that they should be allowed to check-in or carry on as much as they like.
All Simon Calder is doing is re-iterating the legal advice found on http://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/entry-requirements And that is the Foreign Office advice of HM Government for British Citizens that carries more weight and respect than the thinking of an Easyjet agent . Nowhere in EJs T&Cs does it state that a minimum of 6 months validity is required for travel in the EU .
In article 13 of their T&Cs it states .
" the documentary requests for passengers on international flights including in the EU are a valid passport "
" you are solely responsible for complying with all laws, regulations , orders, demands and requirements of all countries to be flown from and into "
Which flying from the UK to Tenerife are as detailed in the gov.uk link above .
Luggage allowances varies from airline to airline and class of travel but passport requirements and entry laws of countries you are travelling to remain the same for all citizens as per the official advice of the passport issuer
In article 13 of their T&Cs it states .
" the documentary requests for passengers on international flights including in the EU are a valid passport "
" you are solely responsible for complying with all laws, regulations , orders, demands and requirements of all countries to be flown from and into "
Which flying from the UK to Tenerife are as detailed in the gov.uk link above .
Luggage allowances varies from airline to airline and class of travel but passport requirements and entry laws of countries you are travelling to remain the same for all citizens as per the official advice of the passport issuer
andy66,
That's Easyjet's policy though. Some tour operators 'highly recommend' 6 months on passports so it depends who you're flying with even though you don't necessarily need 6 months on it. If you need to renew your passport in any case, you might as well just get it done then there's no worries.
Darren
That's Easyjet's policy though. Some tour operators 'highly recommend' 6 months on passports so it depends who you're flying with even though you don't necessarily need 6 months on it. If you need to renew your passport in any case, you might as well just get it done then there's no worries.
Darren
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2344934/Easy-Jet-passengers-told-need-passport-valid-months.html
So is their policy 6 months , 3 months ???? Apparently they say passport validity can change at any time , probably not as much as they change their own policy ?? The UK government say its wrong , it's against EU regulation , the tourist boards say its unnecessary , and now their own spokesman says they are wrong !!!
Perhaps Easyjet can put up a clear wording of their policy , they worked hard on improving their customer service and overall image , but have now refused a traveller travel when he is legally entitled to and refused a refund too .
What's the point of official government advice for British Citizens if when they arrive at the airport the airline has made up its own rules ? I know why they do this , it's because they are scared of making a mistake because different nationalities probably have different regulations , just train the staff properly to apply the correct rules and regs .and get them to interpret the regulations properly .
Having read a bit more about this case , EJ admitted they had made a mistake and that as long as anyone fulfilled the official gov.uk advice then they would be allowed to fly , so perhaps that is their policy now to follow official government and EU regulations
So is their policy 6 months , 3 months ???? Apparently they say passport validity can change at any time , probably not as much as they change their own policy ?? The UK government say its wrong , it's against EU regulation , the tourist boards say its unnecessary , and now their own spokesman says they are wrong !!!
Perhaps Easyjet can put up a clear wording of their policy , they worked hard on improving their customer service and overall image , but have now refused a traveller travel when he is legally entitled to and refused a refund too .
What's the point of official government advice for British Citizens if when they arrive at the airport the airline has made up its own rules ? I know why they do this , it's because they are scared of making a mistake because different nationalities probably have different regulations , just train the staff properly to apply the correct rules and regs .and get them to interpret the regulations properly .
Having read a bit more about this case , EJ admitted they had made a mistake and that as long as anyone fulfilled the official gov.uk advice then they would be allowed to fly , so perhaps that is their policy now to follow official government and EU regulations
dont know why we are concentrating on easyjet when other airlines fly to tenerife.
regardless of what the home office advice is, and this can change at any time, if the tour operator or airline says you need 3 months or 6 months left on your passport then that is what you need.
T&Cs of who you are travelling with need to be read.
regardless of what the home office advice is, and this can change at any time, if the tour operator or airline says you need 3 months or 6 months left on your passport then that is what you need.
T&Cs of who you are travelling with need to be read.
That's the way I read it too jimd-f. If the carrier makes something a condition of travel and you tick to say that you accept that condition then you have to comply - whether it is about passports, luggage or check-in times etc. I for one would never take the risk of not doing so. Regardless of the carrier you are using, the only answer to questions like this is 'Check what you agreed to and make sure that you comply with the T&Cs.'
As Dazbo says, if the question is being asked it is because there is less than 9 months to run on the passport well before the date of travel. So the simplest answer is 'Renew your passport before you go and have the time left to run on it added to you new one.' It costs no more to do this and you can then guarantee that you won't get into rows and difficulties at check-in and run the risk of not being able to board. I for one would never rely on a print-out from a newspaper website as all I needed to get around not complying with a carriers T&Cs.
The OP has not confirmed which carrier she is flying with nor whether this is a DIY with the flight booked independently or whether it is a package booked with a TO. If this is a package then it is essential to check the TOs T&Cs regardless of which carrier they are flying on. Most TOs have blanket T&Cs regardless of the destination because it would be confusing and complex to have different ones for different destinations, so if Boltonlass and her Mum are going to Tenerife on a package then they need to confirm what the TOs T&Cs say.
The added responsibilities of a TO mean that they often have good reasons for imposing tighter T&Cs than airlines and it would be really cavalier not to ensure that you comply with them. We've all seen how they will use the slightest infringement of their T&Cs as a way of trying to get out of honouring their responsibilities. The OP has agreed to a legal contract with either their carrier or TO and they need to check the emails of that contract and then comply with it. If in doubt about what you have agreed to, check and doublecheck rather than take the risk is my view.
SM
As Dazbo says, if the question is being asked it is because there is less than 9 months to run on the passport well before the date of travel. So the simplest answer is 'Renew your passport before you go and have the time left to run on it added to you new one.' It costs no more to do this and you can then guarantee that you won't get into rows and difficulties at check-in and run the risk of not being able to board. I for one would never rely on a print-out from a newspaper website as all I needed to get around not complying with a carriers T&Cs.
The OP has not confirmed which carrier she is flying with nor whether this is a DIY with the flight booked independently or whether it is a package booked with a TO. If this is a package then it is essential to check the TOs T&Cs regardless of which carrier they are flying on. Most TOs have blanket T&Cs regardless of the destination because it would be confusing and complex to have different ones for different destinations, so if Boltonlass and her Mum are going to Tenerife on a package then they need to confirm what the TOs T&Cs say.
The added responsibilities of a TO mean that they often have good reasons for imposing tighter T&Cs than airlines and it would be really cavalier not to ensure that you comply with them. We've all seen how they will use the slightest infringement of their T&Cs as a way of trying to get out of honouring their responsibilities. The OP has agreed to a legal contract with either their carrier or TO and they need to check the emails of that contract and then comply with it. If in doubt about what you have agreed to, check and doublecheck rather than take the risk is my view.
SM
I made the point about EJ in that I provided a link that proved they had made a mistake contrary to official advice , and they admit they were wrong and had made a mistake because in their T&CS and those of other airlines the conditions are
" you are solely responsible for complying with all laws , regulations , orders , demands , and requirements of all countries to be flown from and into "
So that would be the official advice from the gov.uk website . Different countries especially those outside the EU have varying levels of passport validity so just chucking a blanket 6 months to cover all eventualities is lazy and wrong because you are complying to the conditions as stated above and not breaking any terms and conditions
No one needs to rely on a print out from a newspaper website , you only have to rely on the official advice from the Foreign Office on the government website
But here's another link http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/jun/20/passport-expiry-dates-blank-pages
They all seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet
I agree that the simplest answer is to renew your passport especially if you have enough time to do that , but if travel was imminent then a valid passport is ( in this example) perfectly acceptable . I wonder how much the "remedy" cost EJ in their mistake ?
" you are solely responsible for complying with all laws , regulations , orders , demands , and requirements of all countries to be flown from and into "
So that would be the official advice from the gov.uk website . Different countries especially those outside the EU have varying levels of passport validity so just chucking a blanket 6 months to cover all eventualities is lazy and wrong because you are complying to the conditions as stated above and not breaking any terms and conditions
No one needs to rely on a print out from a newspaper website , you only have to rely on the official advice from the Foreign Office on the government website
But here's another link http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/jun/20/passport-expiry-dates-blank-pages
They all seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet
I agree that the simplest answer is to renew your passport especially if you have enough time to do that , but if travel was imminent then a valid passport is ( in this example) perfectly acceptable . I wonder how much the "remedy" cost EJ in their mistake ?
EasyJet's mistake was not applying their own T&Cs correctly which they would appear to have now acknowledged and corrected. Anybody travelling with another airline or on a package with a TO cannot and should not just assume that the EasyJet case as reported in the press sets a precedent that will automatically be applicable to other companies. The FCO advice is literally that - advice. It is not a binding obligation on carriers to comply with it and they, and especially TOs, are free to impose additional tighter conditions which some of them do. That is why travellers should by all means check for general advice on the FCO site but the priority should be to check their carriers and/or TOs T&Cs. We do not have that information from the OP so none of us can tell her with any certainty that her mum doesn't need to renew her passport. She hasn't even confirmed that her mum is a UK passport holder and if she isn't then the situation is even less clear.
Personally, I would never want to encourage a false sense of security in a member here and take the risk of encouraging them, on the basis of incomplete information, to put themselves in a situation where they couldn't travel. That is why jimd-f's initial post here is in my opinion the best and most accurate advice to Boltonlass. In the end it is up to her and her mum whose advice they choose to accept and in the event of a difference between the carrier or the TO's T&Cs and the FCO advice, to make the decision as to whether they think the FCO advice trumps the T&Cs they agreed to or or vice versa.
SM
Personally, I would never want to encourage a false sense of security in a member here and take the risk of encouraging them, on the basis of incomplete information, to put themselves in a situation where they couldn't travel. That is why jimd-f's initial post here is in my opinion the best and most accurate advice to Boltonlass. In the end it is up to her and her mum whose advice they choose to accept and in the event of a difference between the carrier or the TO's T&Cs and the FCO advice, to make the decision as to whether they think the FCO advice trumps the T&Cs they agreed to or or vice versa.
SM
Ok , we now know what advice one of the largest airlines state is correct , so why not see what one of the most popular and very well used travel operators say , I think Thomson would be a good example
http://www.thomson.co.uk/editorial/faqs/important-information/passports.html
Go to the .gov.uk website for passport information I think there are 3 links on there that offer the official website for guidance on passport issues , they have no great banner stating you need to have 6 months validity on your passport on return , but some countries insist on this so the onus is on you to check and comply with the official advice . It does say the Ordinarily holiday companies SUGGEST that you should have passport validity of 6 months after you return , and the UK passport office also suggest it too , that I think is a common sense step to take and agree it is best practice to do .
I wouldn't want to encourage a false sense of security and that is why I gave the advice from the .gov.uk website which is the same as that given by a very big tour operator and one of the most popular and busy airlines who agree that the advice on the official website is what you must comply with to travel with them
http://www.thomson.co.uk/editorial/faqs/important-information/passports.html
Go to the .gov.uk website for passport information I think there are 3 links on there that offer the official website for guidance on passport issues , they have no great banner stating you need to have 6 months validity on your passport on return , but some countries insist on this so the onus is on you to check and comply with the official advice . It does say the Ordinarily holiday companies SUGGEST that you should have passport validity of 6 months after you return , and the UK passport office also suggest it too , that I think is a common sense step to take and agree it is best practice to do .
I wouldn't want to encourage a false sense of security and that is why I gave the advice from the .gov.uk website which is the same as that given by a very big tour operator and one of the most popular and busy airlines who agree that the advice on the official website is what you must comply with to travel with them
What's the point Andy66 - we don't know who she booked with 
So the only accurate as opposed to speculative advice we can give her is 'Check the T&Cs of your carrier and/or TO.' By all means go through every carrier or TO that she might have booked with and check this out for her but unless you do you cannot provide her with anything more accurate than what jimd-f and Dazbo provided her with.
SM
So the only accurate as opposed to speculative advice we can give her is 'Check the T&Cs of your carrier and/or TO.' By all means go through every carrier or TO that she might have booked with and check this out for her but unless you do you cannot provide her with anything more accurate than what jimd-f and Dazbo provided her with.
SM
Yes I agree my mistake , I obviously didn't know that the official .gov.uk website offered speculative advice to it citizens .
Boltonlass just make sure you have 6 months validity on your return in case you encounter a lazy airline agent who can't be bothered to distinguish between the rules that this government or other countries government or heavens above defy EU regulations .
Isn't one size fits all so much easier
Boltonlass just make sure you have 6 months validity on your return in case you encounter a lazy airline agent who can't be bothered to distinguish between the rules that this government or other countries government or heavens above defy EU regulations .
Isn't one size fits all so much easier
Yes, one size fits all would be easier and, yes, it would be great if all carriers and TOs followed the FCO advice and wrote that advice into their T&Cs but they don't necessarily do so. Yes, it provides accurate advice about what your destination country requires for entry but it doesn't provide a definitive statement about the requirements of the airline or TO that will take you there.
For example, re travel to Cuba, it states that you need a tourist visa for entry to Cuba but it doesn't tell you and nor does the link it gives you to the Cuban consular services website, that most carriers will not only turn you away at check-in if you do not have one, that furthermore if they think it hasn't been filled in correctly, they will turn you away (and the correct way isn't always obvious if you are staying in anything other than a tourist hotel) and that it is only valid if you have a return travel ticket that you can produce at immigration on arrival in Cuba. On the basis of the FCO advice someone could buy a single outbound ticket and then not be allowed to travel because they only have a tourist visa.
And of course it has led many a traveller to assume that they won't be allowed to take a travel kettle with them and that if they do it will be confiscated on arrival in Cuba!
SM
For example, re travel to Cuba, it states that you need a tourist visa for entry to Cuba but it doesn't tell you and nor does the link it gives you to the Cuban consular services website, that most carriers will not only turn you away at check-in if you do not have one, that furthermore if they think it hasn't been filled in correctly, they will turn you away (and the correct way isn't always obvious if you are staying in anything other than a tourist hotel) and that it is only valid if you have a return travel ticket that you can produce at immigration on arrival in Cuba. On the basis of the FCO advice someone could buy a single outbound ticket and then not be allowed to travel because they only have a tourist visa.
And of course it has led many a traveller to assume that they won't be allowed to take a travel kettle with them and that if they do it will be confiscated on arrival in Cuba!
SM
And there was me stupidly hoping that at least one advantage of me being a citizen of a country in the EU it would allow me to travel freely with a valid passport to another country in the EU , or is that too simple for airlines or TO s to understand .
I think you're allowed to take travel kettles to Tenerife , I'm sure they didn't confiscate mine when I visited there a couple of years ago , come to think of it , I didn't take one !! They had a coffee machine in the villa
I wasn't aware that these powerful companies could add more stringent laws or requirements that supersede the laws made by the government in this country and indeed other countries too .
I think you're allowed to take travel kettles to Tenerife , I'm sure they didn't confiscate mine when I visited there a couple of years ago , come to think of it , I didn't take one !! They had a coffee machine in the villa
SMa wrote:Yes, one size fits all would be easier and, yes, it would be great if all carriers and TOs followed the FCO advice and wrote that advice into their T&Cs but they don't necessarily do so. Yes, it provides accurate advice about what your destination country requires for entry but it doesn't provide a definitive statement about the requirements of the airline or TO that will take you there
SM
I wasn't aware that these powerful companies could add more stringent laws or requirements that supersede the laws made by the government in this country and indeed other countries too .
Thanks very much for the replies. I have actually found on the booking form that they advise that you should have six months on the passport. I new you guys would help me.
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