Rhianna Benson
If you're lucky enough to have an international vacation booked for the coming weeks, listen closely - especially if you hail from the UK.
An urgent warning regarding the use of red/burgundy passports has recently been reiterated by government officials, after a number of holders were turned away from their holiday destinations and forced to return home.
For those in need of a reminder - though, let's be real, we're probably all scarred by the entire fiasco - following the UK's decision to break free from the European Union in 2020, maroon passports were discontinued.
They were swapped out by ex-PM Boris Johnson for new navy blue passports, and handed to anyone that needed to renew or replace their lost or outdated travel documents.
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The controversial move also meant that Brits were no longer eligible to queue up at the famously fast-moving EU border gates upon their arrival at any Schengen airport, just saying...
Anyway, if you were someone who'd renewed their burgundy passport just prior to Brexit, however, you were permitted to keep it until it was due to expire.
In spite of this allowance, however, travel officials have issued warnings in recent years over a very specific restriction that comes with these red passport documents - the '10 year rule'.
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As per post-Brexit travel regulations, these maroon passports must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you enter one of these Schengen Zone countries.
This can catch some people out as, prior to September 2018, any months you had left on your old UK passport before it expired were added to your new one, meaning some older passports have an expiry date more than 10 years after they were issued.
So even if you have months left until your passport expires, you could still be barred from EU countries.
Schengen Zone countries include 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 - just so you know.
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On top of this, your burgundy passport must also be valid for at least three months from the day you plan to leave your holiday destination - so, make sure you check the expiry date.
And it turns out, failing to do so could result in you being turned away from the check-in desk.
"Booking your holidays can be very exciting, and a welcome distraction to the beginning of the year blues," Confused.com travel insurance expert Alvaro Iturmendi warned recently
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"But no matter how far in advance you’re planning, it’s never too early to check your passport’s validity, so you don’t get caught out last minute."
The holiday-booking guru added: "Our research found that less than half (43 percent) of travellers knew that if you're heading to the EU, your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before their departure date.
"And if your passport doesn't meet this regulation, it could mean you're denied entry into the country, or may not even be allowed on the flight in the first place. Either way, it's likely to lead to a lot of disruption to your holiday plans."
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So, if you've got a trip coming up in the coming weeks and your passport does not meet these requirements, it's best to act fast and get your document renewed, as it can take some time for a new blue passport to arrive.
Also, if there's ever an incentive to double-check your dates, it's the fact that emergency travel documents will set you back a staggering £207.
Don't say we didn't warn you!