Passports: Simon Calder issues advice on expiry requirements

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As Spain scraps its travel restrictions, the majority of top holiday destinations no longer have any Covid entry requirements. However, tourists will need to comply with passport rules for travel to the EU.

Any travellers arriving in the EU and Schengen zone from the UK will need to make sure their passport complies with the rules.

According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) passports must have been issued less than 10 years before the date of entry.

British tourists will need to get their passport renewed if their document is more than 10 years old.

Passports must also be valid for at least three months after the day British tourists plan to leave.

Since Brexit, British tourists can only spend up to 90 days out of every 180 in the Schengen Zone without a visa.

This applies to all British citizens whether they are travelling for a holiday, to visit family, or for a business trip.

Digital nomads will need to be particularly careful as they may be planning to stay in Europe for a longer time.

British tourists will need to get their passport stamped on entry and exit to the Schengen area.

If their passport is stamped, officials could assume they have overstayed the permitted 90 day period.

British tourists could be detained overnight, fined or banned from entering the Schengen zone if they overstay.

Even if British tourists use the airport e-gates in countries such as Portugal, they will need to get their passport stamped.

Tourists travelling to Turkey will need to make sure their passport is valid for at least 150 days from the date of arrival.

They will also need to have a full blank page for exit and entry stamps in their passport for Turkey.

In 2023, the EU is planning to introduce a new digital system for non-EU citizens visiting the bloc.

The ETIAS scheme is a new digital security system designed to protect the EU’s borders from non-residents.

British citizens will need to pay to qualify for the ETIAS visa, and the fee is expected to be about £5.34.

The ETIAS visa scheme is expected to launch in late 2023 although the exact date has not been announced.

It’s expected that most British citizens would have their application approved within 10 minutes.

Some people may need to attend an in-person interview if their case is particularly complicated.

British citizens will need a passport, an email address and a debit or credit card to make an application.

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