What anyone with a red passport needs to check to ensure they aren’t turned away at airport
Lucy Devine
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
If you've still got a red passport, then take note. There's some urgent checks you need to make before you next head off to the airport.
Imagine setting off for your holiday, arriving at the airport for your flight and sitting down for a glass of Prosecco when you realise that an issue with your passport could halt your plans.
It would be pretty gutting, which is why Brits are being warned to make some urgent checks.
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If you're reading this and feeling confused because your passport is blue, then worry not.
If you renewed your passport after the UK left the EU in 2020, you'll have a blue one and nothing to worry about - assuming it's in good condition, of course.
However, if you have a red passport - which most of us had *before* the UK left the EU - then we've got an important update for you.
The HM Passport Office stopped issuing these red British passports before 31 December, 2020.
Which means that for many Brits with red passports, they could be nearing their expiry date.
So, to avoid chaos at the airport when you'd rather be popping some Prosecco, be sure to check the date of issue on your passport to see if it has been issued within 10 years of the day you land abroad.
Then, add another three months onto the date that you're planning to leave the country and double-check to see if your passport expires after that.
Some countries actually require passports to be valid for six months. These countries include China, Thailand, Egypt and Turkey.
An estimated 200 Brits every day are being turned away at check-in, or even the departure gates, for not having sufficient time left on their passports.
If you find that your passport isn't valid - you've got two options moving forward.
You can either apply for a passport renewal which can take up to three weeks - or longer during busy periods - or, if you're departure is sooner rather than later, get an emergency travel document.
An emergency travel document is typically ready for collection two working days after an application is paid and received in the UK so bear this in mind ahead of time.
A passport renewal will set you back £88.50 if you apply online or a slightly more expensive £100 if you fill in a paper form, while an emergency passport comes attached with £100 non-refundable fee if you apply online.