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Simon Calder, travel correspondent at The Independent, has revealed that approximately 200 Brits are being turned away at European Union airports daily, due to the bloc's stringent travel regulations. His findings show that over 100,000 British travellers and holidaymakers face the disappointment of cancelled holidays every year due to these rules.
Following the UK's departure from the EU on 31st December 2020, British citizens transitioned into third-country nationals, forfeiting their previous privileges of passport-free entry and facilitated travel within the EU, which includes Spain and the Canary Islands.
Consequently, British travellers must now ensure that their passports meet the following criteria:
- Passports must remain valid for three to six months beyond the planned departure from the EU.
- Passports must not exceed ten years of age upon the planned departure date from the EU.
Failure to adhere to these guidelines results in denied boarding by airline staff, with border officers in the EU subsequently refusing entry upon arrival as highlighted by Schengen Visa Info. Despite being more than three years since Brexit, many Brits remain oblivious to these regulations, leading to disrupted travel plans and financial losses.
According to the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), UK citizens made 56.1 million trips to EU countries in 2022, out of a total of 93.1 million total trips. These figures highlight the significant impact of unawareness regarding passport validity rules on British travellers, who ARE being refused entry to EU countries and sent home with no holiday and significant financial loss.
Calder stresses that travellers bear the responsibility of ensuring passport validity and, consequently, are not covered by travel insurance or entitled to refunds from airlines. In response, the UK Home Office and travel experts advise British nationals planning EU holidays this summer to check their passports' compliance and renew them if necessary.
