Wizz Air has issued a warning to passengers flying abroad this summer to check their passports as more than a million are due to expire in 2026.
According to figures obtained by the airline from the HM Passport Office, over 1.4 million UK adult passports are due to expire before the end of June this year, meaning holidaymakers could be caught out by passport validity rules if they don’t act now, as most destinations require at least six months remaining. While the summer holiday season may still be several months away, passengers who review their passport too late risk having an invalid passport and may be unable to travel altogether.
If you’re travelling to a country in the European Union, or Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, you must have a passport with a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive, AND have an ‘expiry date’ of at least three months after the day you plan to leave.
Your Europe explains: “If you are a national from a country outside the EU wishing to visit or travel within the EU, you will need a valid passport and possibly a visa.
“Your passport should be valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave the EU and it must have been issued within the last 10 years. This means your travel document must have been issued within the previous 10 years the day you enter the EU on condition that it is valid until the end of your stay plus an additional 3 months.”
If your passport doesn’t meet these rules then you will be denied entry as you don’t have a valid travel document to enter these countries.
The passport rules apply when entering 25 European countries, including popular tourist destinations like Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and Greece, as well as four non-EU countries including Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Yvonne Moynihan, Managing Director at Wizz Air UK said: “Don’t let an expiring passport ruin your summer plans. Summer holidays should be about excitement, not last-minute stress.
“With peak booking season underway, now is the time to check if your passport is valid. A quick two-minute check today could save weeks of disruption later and ensure travellers can book with confidence and enjoy the full range of destinations across our network.”
A standard adult passport currently costs £94.50 when applying online, or £107 when applying via a paper form, while standard child passports cost £61.50 or £74 respectively.
If you need a passport urgently, you can pay for a one day premium service which costs £222 for a standard adult passport. The earliest you can get an appointment is two days after you apply and your new passport will be ready to collect from the passport office four hours after your appointment.
Alternatively, a one week fast track service is available at a cost of £178 for an adult passport or £145 for a child passport.
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