Brits have been warned to make a vital check when booking their holiday this year.
Travellers are being warned to check their passport is valid now, rather than waiting to closer to their trip.
Alvaro Iturmendi, Confused.com travel insurance expert, said: “Booking your holidays can be very exciting, and a welcome distraction to the beginning of the year blues.
“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.
“Our research found that less than half (43%) 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.
“An emergency passport could cost up to £207 depending on its urgency.
“And if you leave it to the last minute, having to take time off work and travel to visit a passport office could become costly and time consuming. This is especially true if you need to visit an office far from home.
“Unfortunately, travel insurance will not cover the cost of last-minute travel for an emergency passport, nor for any missed flights or holidays.
“It's important to always double-check your passport’s expiration date as soon as you start planning your trip, and leave yourself ample time to renew it if needed.”
Passport price increases
From today, the cost of a standard British passport will rise by 7%.
These are the price changes for passport applications in the UK:
- Standard online applications made from within the UK will rise from £88.50 to £94.50 for adults and £57.50 to £61.50 for children.
- Postal applications will increase from £100 to £107 for adults and £69 to £74 for children.
- Premium Service (1 day) applications made from within in the UK will rise from £207.50 to £222 for adults and £176.50 to £189 for children.
- Standard online applications from overseas will rise from £101 to £108 for adults and £65.50 to £70 for children.
- Overseas standard paper applications will increase from £112.50 to £120.50 for adults and £77 to £82.50 for children.
Can you still use a red passport in 2025?
UK passports are now a deep blue in colour and the newest ones are the King Charles III passports following his coronation but can the old deep red ones still be used?
If you’re going on holiday and are worried that your red/burgundy passport isn’t accepted anymore, there’s no need to worry.
Burgundy passports are still allowed to be used in 2025 if they remain valid for travel so you’ll need to check the expiry date and the rules regarding how much time you should have left on your passport to travel to your chosen destination.
If your passport still has ‘European Union’ on the cover, you can still use it but only if it’s valid for travel, according to the Government website.
You’ll probably find that when it’s time to renew your passport next, you’ll be given a blue one but you don’t need to renew your passport unless yours has expired or it doesn’t have enough time left on it for travel.
When should I renew my passport?
Always check if your passport is valid before you book your next holiday. It’s just as important as booking flights or a hotel, because if it’s not up to scratch then you won’t be able to go.
You will need to renew your passport if:
- It has expired
- It is over 10 years old
- There is not enough time left on it
How long does it take to renew a UK passport?
The wait time for renewing a UK passport is around three weeks. If you need your passport sooner, take a look at the passport fast-track service.
If the passport delays of 2022-23 have taught us anything, it’s to renew your passport as soon as you can. Make sure to check the expiry date and the date it was issued, as you can’t use a passport if it’s over 10 years old.
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