my family have travelled abroad several times. This year we have a holiday booked to Turkey. We fly out Sunday, however last Saturday my husband was messing about on the computer and just happened to come across a site that informed us passports need to be valid for six months from the date of intended entry into the country. We have since discovered this applies to most countries since 9/11. unfortunatly both my childrens passports expire in August. We were totally unaware of the six mounth rule and you would think a valid passport is a valid passport! Luckily we managed to get the last appointment in Newport to get the childrens passports via the primium service. We had to fill out new application forms and get photos countersigned within a day. I had to drive to Newport and wait for four hours ( which I thought was good as others imformed me they had to wait alot longer) for the renewal of both passports. I have just experienced the most stressful days of my life worrying that the appliation might be refused due to a mistake on the application form or something wrong with the photos. Luckily all went well and we can go on holiday.
Please please be warned of this specification on passports as the tour operators don't tell you. Admittedly it was in small print on one of the documents but who reads everything from start to finish especially when you've had no problems in the past. I would hate to think of anyone having to undergo the stress i have just had or worse still no holiday.
Hi,
You may wish to check the following thread:
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=60451&highlight=passport
for some interesting discussions on this exact topic.
It is a bit of a minefield
Mark
You may wish to check the following thread:
http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=60451&highlight=passport
for some interesting discussions on this exact topic.
It is a bit of a minefield
Mark
Passports have to be valid for six months from the return date of your holiday. All travel agents should ask you this when booking, as well as other standard questions.
Travel agents usually ask you at the time of booking do you have a full 10 year British passport, valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of travel it is then up to you to check for yourself.
This is a standard question they should all ask.
Travel agents usually ask you at the time of booking do you have a full 10 year British passport, valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of travel it is then up to you to check for yourself.
This is a standard question they should all ask.
The travel agent did not inform us about the six months and I have been reading the previous threads on the subject and i appreciate that it is up to people to check the regulations. However, as i said before it just didn't occur to us that we needed to check passport regs for Turkey as we have been before with no probs. The chap who checked the details at the passport office said they have people with the same problems every day. so surely it would be in everybodies interest to make people aware.
This issue crops up regularly in our PASSPORT ADVICE and Q&As topic.
As far as Turkey is concerned, this is nothing new, there is a minimum 6 month passport validity rule for entry into that country. That is an official entry requirement, which may or may not be rigorously enforced by Turkish immigration officials.
However in some other countries, such as Spain, there is no such immigration requirement. Passports need only be valid for the duration of your holiday. But some airlines and tour operators choose to implement their own minimum passport validity rules which conflict with those local immigration requirements. In cases such as those, you should comply with the tour operator's rules, or you could be denied boarding by check-in staff at the airport.
It's no longer a case of just checking immigration/entry requirements for the country which you are visiting, you also have to check the passport rules applied by the tour operator or airline you are travelling with, as they may well specify a minimum 6 month validity period for all countries which they travel to, even where no such official entry requirement exists for the specific country which you are intending to travel to. If that rule forms part of their booking conditions and your passport does not comply, you would ultimately be responsible for the consequences.
David
As far as Turkey is concerned, this is nothing new, there is a minimum 6 month passport validity rule for entry into that country. That is an official entry requirement, which may or may not be rigorously enforced by Turkish immigration officials.
However in some other countries, such as Spain, there is no such immigration requirement. Passports need only be valid for the duration of your holiday. But some airlines and tour operators choose to implement their own minimum passport validity rules which conflict with those local immigration requirements. In cases such as those, you should comply with the tour operator's rules, or you could be denied boarding by check-in staff at the airport.
It's no longer a case of just checking immigration/entry requirements for the country which you are visiting, you also have to check the passport rules applied by the tour operator or airline you are travelling with, as they may well specify a minimum 6 month validity period for all countries which they travel to, even where no such official entry requirement exists for the specific country which you are intending to travel to. If that rule forms part of their booking conditions and your passport does not comply, you would ultimately be responsible for the consequences.
David
Reading past threads and reading your replies I feel really silly now for not reading the small print and taking it for granted that a valid passport for the duration of your holiday means you can travel during that time, However I'm not overly clever on the legal garb and tend not to understand or easily absorb it and like the majority of people I'm just Mrs Average and I'm sure I'm not alone in relying on the travel agent to advise me of anything that is likely to throw a spanner in the works. Besides that even if the six month validity rule does not get mentioned by the travel agent i hardly think it should be included in the small print it should be in mega bold capitals underlined its hardly a trivial matter. Is it 
I realise this might not be new for Turkey but because we've had ten year adult and five year child passports the last three times we have been abroad passport expiry has not been an issue. Therefore I foresee many others reaching expiry who are completely oblivious unless it becomes common knowledge that six months validity is required. I have to say speaking to all those Mrs Averages out there the majority were unaware.
I realise this might not be new for Turkey but because we've had ten year adult and five year child passports the last three times we have been abroad passport expiry has not been an issue. Therefore I foresee many others reaching expiry who are completely oblivious unless it becomes common knowledge that six months validity is required. I have to say speaking to all those Mrs Averages out there the majority were unaware.
Hi snooky ... you obviously overlooked the small print, but no reason to feel silly, and I'm sure that none of the replies were intended to make you feel like that. The fact is that the travel industry do not make life easy on the subject of passport validity. Some companies follow Foreign Office or Embassy guidelines and regulations, while others implement their own passport validity rules. If they all adhered to one specific policy which they made clear to customers, holidaymakers may not be left in such a state of confusion and panic.
David
David
Am I correct in believing this is NOT the case with EEC countrys,freedom of movement act???
Am I correct in believing this is NOT the case with EEC countrys,freedom of movement act???
Whilst it may be the case as far as legal immigration/entry requirements are concerned, it may not be the case as far as your tour operator or airline are concerned. Some stipulate a minimum passport validity of 6 months for all countries, irrespective of EU status or individual immigration policy.
For that reason you need to check and comply with your tour operator or airline's policy, even if their passport validity requirements conflict with or exceed what the Foreign Office or individual foreign embassies may tell you.
David
snooky it was kind of you to bring this to the attention of other traveller's so that it doesn't happen to them, anyone could have made the same mistake. I can appreciate how stressful it must have been for you sorting out your new passports, I hope you go on to have a lovely holiday to make up for it.
Shell
Shell
This is not a new thing after 9/11, as far as I was aware it is standard in many countries and always has been. It's not really up to the travel agent to spell this out with relation to particular destinations as they can't be responsible for every little travel detail. Though I do realise it's perhaps not as widely known an issue as I thought it was.
Just checked on Thomson holidays web site NO info on their policy,just says "some counties need 6months from return" not much help there.Are you supposed to guess.
I wasn't aware of it I have to admit. I went to Crete last year and there was 7 months left on my passport but even if it had only been 1 month I wouldn't have thought it necessary to check it out. I just assumed that a valid passport meant just that. I can remember a few years back my Dad travelling to Spain and he only had a few days left on his passport upon return and he never had a problem though I have to say that's a bit too close for comfort
Just checked my documentation through for our forthcoming holiday to Barbados.
According to the Barbados official government site, it does not state that passports have to be valid for 6 months after the intended stay. The Virgin website and brochure doesn't state this either.
However, my travel agent's (Lloyds TSB Travel Service) booking summary states the following:
"Passports and visas are ultimately your responsibility, but as a general guide Passports should be valid for at least 6 months after the date of your return"
So where would we stand on this. Do we go by the Barbados governments or Virgin's guidelines or do we take the advise of the travel agent?
Some confusion here, and I think it might be best to just have your passport valid for 6 months after the date of return full stop.
Mark
According to the Barbados official government site, it does not state that passports have to be valid for 6 months after the intended stay. The Virgin website and brochure doesn't state this either.
However, my travel agent's (Lloyds TSB Travel Service) booking summary states the following:
"Passports and visas are ultimately your responsibility, but as a general guide Passports should be valid for at least 6 months after the date of your return"
So where would we stand on this. Do we go by the Barbados governments or Virgin's guidelines or do we take the advise of the travel agent?
Some confusion here, and I think it might be best to just have your passport valid for 6 months after the date of return full stop.
Mark
Yes I would say have your passports valid for 6 months after your return, make sure you check them every year and then there's no way you'll get caught out.
Incidentally, chap at work told me yesterday his son went to Malta with friends. It wasn't highlighted until he got to Malta that his passport had actually expired! So it wasn't noticed at Manchester by check in or by passport control! They let him in the country and he had to get it sorted out at the embassy, but it could have been much worse. If they hadn't picked it up there they could have picked it up on his return and not let him leave or allsorts.
Silly boy for not checking it anyway, but thanks to Manchester airport staff not noticing he got his holiday when he might not have otherwise.
Incidentally, chap at work told me yesterday his son went to Malta with friends. It wasn't highlighted until he got to Malta that his passport had actually expired! So it wasn't noticed at Manchester by check in or by passport control! They let him in the country and he had to get it sorted out at the embassy, but it could have been much worse. If they hadn't picked it up there they could have picked it up on his return and not let him leave or allsorts.
Silly boy for not checking it anyway, but thanks to Manchester airport staff not noticing he got his holiday when he might not have otherwise.
It's all very well harping on about what people and the travel agents should or should not do, the fact of the matter is people are unaware of the six month validity which is causing upsets to families who have been looking forward to their holiday. Surely it is not that difficult to make people more aware. All I'm worried about is others having to go through the same as i did or worse. I was lucky. Thanks Shell for your sympathetic reply. I'm sure I'll have a wonderfull holiday. After all the extra stress i will appreciate sitting by the pool with my cocktail much more.
Your welcome snooky. My Sister's off to Turkey in August, I shall get her to check her passport to make sure it's ok
This topic keeps coming back and the same complaints keep arising. Somewhere within the T&Cs or the other documents advice is given.
There is no problem with losing out by renewing your passport early as the six months left will be put onto the renewal.
I recall the last time the complaint was that the TOs were advising longer than six months.
The thing people do need to remember is that rules keep changing, what it says today might not apply tomorrow.
Most problems of this type come about because people do not read the small print in full.
I sometimes think the motto for Holiday Truths should be read the T&Cs
fwh
There is no problem with losing out by renewing your passport early as the six months left will be put onto the renewal.
I recall the last time the complaint was that the TOs were advising longer than six months.
The thing people do need to remember is that rules keep changing, what it says today might not apply tomorrow.
Most problems of this type come about because people do not read the small print in full.
I sometimes think the motto for Holiday Truths should be read the T&Cs
fwh
Hi
What about if you DIY and don't use TO's? What small print do you read then.
Also I have just had to renew my sons passport due to the six month rule as he goes away with his mates in a couple of weeks but his passport would have run out in Sept . Fortunately for him I am aware of the six month rule. There are 15 of them going and as only one of them has the paperwork it is probable that he has not read the small print and many of them are unaware of the rule. In all honesty how many people read all the small print, especially 20 year olds. As far as they are concerned they have booked and paid for their holiday, received confirmation and are awaiting their tickets for two weeks of madness, and if there is anything they need to know the TO will tell them.
IMO I really don't see why this six month rule should apply. As long as your passport is valid when you go on holiday and return what is the problem?
Regards Jackie
What about if you DIY and don't use TO's? What small print do you read then.
Also I have just had to renew my sons passport due to the six month rule as he goes away with his mates in a couple of weeks but his passport would have run out in Sept . Fortunately for him I am aware of the six month rule. There are 15 of them going and as only one of them has the paperwork it is probable that he has not read the small print and many of them are unaware of the rule. In all honesty how many people read all the small print, especially 20 year olds. As far as they are concerned they have booked and paid for their holiday, received confirmation and are awaiting their tickets for two weeks of madness, and if there is anything they need to know the TO will tell them.
IMO I really don't see why this six month rule should apply. As long as your passport is valid when you go on holiday and return what is the problem?
Regards Jackie
What about if you DIY and don't use TO's? What small print do you read then.
Very good question. Would you be denied boarding an airplane to Spain because you don't have 6 months validity as it is not an entry requirement to go into Spain?
Refer now back to the thread I linked to in my first post, and what would have happened if the holiday was booked DIY?
What is the point having an expiry date on a passport when, in reality, it does not mean all that much depending on with who you book?
Mark
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