Travel experts have kicked off 2025 by issuing a stern warning to holders of burgundy British passports.
And let's just say, if we're describing you and you're jet-setting abroad in the coming months, you're going to want to take note...
Ever since the UK left the EU in 2020, old-school red passports have been out of commission.
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Instead, Brits renewing or replacing their passports are now being issued blue passports.
Not only does this mean that we can no longer use the EU border control gates when travelling between any of the 29 countries that form part of the Schengen area.
FYI, these 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.
Despite post-Covid changes, that doesn't mean that burgundy passports are totally useless, and holders of these documents can still permit international travel.
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That said, however, certain rules and regulations will apply, which - not carefully followed - will see hundreds of travellers turned away from check-in gates throughout the spring/summer season.
Alvaro Iturmendi, a travel insurance expert from Confused.com, has emphasised one rule in particular - red passports must still have six months of validity left before travel.
"Booking your holidays can be very exciting, and a welcome distraction to the beginning of the year blues," he explained.
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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."
But that's not all.
According to the expert, a considerably high proportion of Brits interviewed claimed they had no idea their red passport had to have been issued within the last 10 years before the departure date.
"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," Alvaro added.
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"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."
If you do realise that your passport doesn't have six months of validity left, you can order an emergency passport - but Alvaro emphasised that this can see you forking out up to £207 depending in your level of urgency.
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"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," he went on.
"This is especially true if you need to visit an office far from home."
Alvaro also highlighted: "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. By using our passport checker, you can save a great deal of time, money, and stress."
Rhianna Benson