When you’re planning a holiday abroad, there’s a lot to think about. Booking flights, making sure you have travel insurance and of course planning the itinerary can really take it out of you, but there’s one essential thing you need to remember.

If you forget to check your passport, then all of your hard work and preparation for your holiday could go to waste as you can be denied at the airport.  If you’re going to be travelling to the EU, or Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland you need to check that your passport was issued less than 10 years before the departure date.

For example, if you are flying on 10 July 2025, your passport must have been issued after 10 July 2015. This rule applies regardless of the passport’s expiry date.

It also needs to be valid for at least three months after your intended return date when travelling to Europe or the Schengen area.

However, many people also forget to check that their passport is in good enough condition to travel. Rips, water damage or stains can all invalidate your passport and get you turned away. 

Gemma Brown, Head of Ground Product & Partnerships at Travel Republic said: “The likelihood is that travel insurance providers would not cover any costs associated with invalid or expired passports, as it’s down to the traveller to triple-check their documentation is correct.”

“Our advice would be to ensure that your passport is within the 10-year issue date and is valid for at least six months from the date of departure to ensure you will be accepted into most countries.

“Regardless of passport rules, it’s important for all travellers to research the country they plan to visit and ensure they know what travel documentation is required upon entering and leaving. You can find foreign travel advice on the government website to make sure you have everything covered.”