Millions of Brits travelling to the EU could be caught out by 10-year passport rule

Picture this: you've finally made your way through the bustling queue at airport security.

You're three glasses of Prosecco and a Boots meal-deal down, and you're waiting in the lengthy non-priority line to board a flight to the European hot-spot you've been dreaming of for months.

That is, until airline staff pull you to the side and deal you the agonising blow - there's an issue with your passport, you're not permitted to fly, and you'll have to bid adieu to your thoughts of sun, sand and sea.

Unfortunately, for hundreds of UK travellers, this nightmare predicament could be a harrowing reality, all because of a post-Brexit '10-year' rule, which has been put into place and derailed the plans of hundreds of holiday-makers already.

Travellers from the UK were previously able to carry up to nine months from an old passport over their new one.

Now, however - following our (disastrous) departure from the European Union - the majority of countries across Europe are no longer accepting passports that were issued more than 10 years ago.

What is the '10-year' rule?

Due to former protocols, some travellers will understandably have passports which are valid for a total of 10 years and nine months.

These will only expire when this time period is up.

Hinterhaus Productions/Getty

This rule only applies to those who have had their passports issued prior to September 2018.

If you received your passport after this month, your passport will only be valid for exactly 10 years.

And, as mentioned, countless holiday-makers who have a passport life-span of longer than 10 years have been turned away at the airport gate in recent weeks.

That's because EU countries simply will not accept any passports older than 10 years.

What does this mean UK holiday-makers this summer?

If you've got plans to travel across the EU this summer, you should definitely be checking that your passport was issued less that 10 years before the date you're planning to fly, before making any final bookings.

Getty/urbazon

On top of that - as if this decade-long rule isn't stressful enough - you also have to be sure that your passport is still valid for three months after you're due to return to the UK.

"The 10-year-rule is a problem that continues to catch people out," Travel Editor Rory Boland told the BBC this week.

"What's really important is that you check your passport validity and expiry date when booking your holiday," he went on.

"Not when you go to check-in, and certainly not when you travel to the airport, because that's when people are continually finding that their passport is out of date and it's often then too expensive, and too complicated to save their holiday."

Do you think you may need to renew your passport?

As we say, it's best to avoid being turned down at the airport by checking your expiry date before actually booking your trip.

Isabel Pavia/Getty

If you find yourself one of the unlucky ones whose passport was issued over 10 years ago, you'll need to contact the HM Passport Office asap, to try and get hold of one before the packing commences.

Or, if your holiday isn't right around the corner, you can renew your passport online or pick up a paper application form from your local post office.