All the airlines that have issued warnings to Brits who still have a red passport

Red passport holders - listen up!

Now, with Christmas just around the corner, it's clear many Brits will be jetting off to be reunited with their families, visit a loved one or simply head off for somewhere warmer.

However, if you've still got the old reddish burgundy passport then you need to do some serious double-checking before you head to the airport.

Have you still got one of these? (Huw Fairclough/Getty Images)

Since the UK bid farewell to the EU, passports must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you enter any of the 29 countries that form part of the Schengen area - which is the area of Europe that allows people to freely travel between its member countries.

The Schengen Zone is Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

What is the '10-year passport rule'?

You need to take a look at the date on your passport which needs to have been issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the EU country (date of issue).

It also needs to be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave the country you're jetting away to (the date of expiry).

So, in short, double-check the date of issue on your passport to see if it has been issued within ten 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.

Check the date on your passport before travelling (belterz / Getty Images)

To check your passport, take a look at the date to see if it was issued before September 2018.

If you find your passport doesn't meet these requirements, it's best to act fast and renew your document as it can take several weeks to process in busy times.

You don't need to worry if you've got a UK passport that has been issued since 2018 as the cap of 10 years means you will not face any issues.

A bunch of airlines including the likes of Jet2, Ryanair, Wizz Air, British Airways and easyJet have all since issued warnings for anyone thinking of going abroad with a red passport.

So, don't be that person who has a last-minute meltdown at the gate.

Check your passport is all good to go way ahead of your departure date to save yourself some not-so-festive drama later down the line.

• Grim warning issued to anyone who puts their feet on car dashboard
• Brits who still have a red passport issued important warning
• Anyone on £50,000 a year issued warning as it becomes 'worst salary to earn'
• Anyone who uses nasal sprays issued fresh warning by pharmacists