A woman was denied boarding after airline staff found her passport was no longer valid. A TikTok by the woman (@lliv.gk) went viral this week, gaining over 400,000 views and leaving viewers baffled by passport rules.
She was trying to fly to Turkey, but her passport didn’t have 150 days of validity remaining. Many commenters were unaware that the six-month validity requirement even existed. One wrote: “It’s ridiculous. What’s the point of an expiry date if it’s really not that date?” The EU requires three months of validity, and the US, Thailand, and UAE require six. Travel experts at Netflights have revealed why exactly our passports have expiry dates, plus two other passport mishaps that can also lead to denied boarding, delays, or extra security checks.
Amanda Parker at Netflights said: “Your passportneeds at least three months of validity beyond your trip, and for some countries six months, for several reasons. If travellers were to face an emergency while abroad, such as falling ill or needing to extend their visit, then they could technically be in the country illegally if their passportexpires during their stay. These extra months act as buffer periods to reduce the risk of overstaying.”
Parker added: “Buffer periods also reduce administrative and legal risks, as immigration authorities want to avoid dealing with travellers who become ‘undocumented’ mid-trip.
“A passport expiring during a visit can cause problems with healthcare access, hotel check-ins and internal travel or ID checks. Requiring extra validity upfront helps prevent these complications.
“It’s best practice for travellers to check the passport validity rules before they book a trip, and to consider renewing if they’re approaching the three or six-month mark, depending on their destination and their corresponding regulations.”
Parker also warns travellers that it’s not just your passport expiry date that can catch you out. Before jetting off, always check the following to ensure you’re allowed to board your flight:
Passengers can be refused if their passport is damaged. Water damage or torn pages on your passport can make your passport invalid for travel. As international security is tightening, your passport needs to be in good condition and meet very specific entry requirements.
Passengers can experience delays or even be denied boarding when their appearance does not match their passport photo. If your passport is several years old and you have experienced significant changes to weight, hair, and appearance since then, this may be flagged. This won’t invalidate your passport; however, it can lead to extra security checks.
Passport laws changed after Brexit. The ‘ten-year rule’ states that a UK passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the date of your entry into that country, and it must also be valid for at least three months after your planned departure date.
This issue date rule is separate from your passport’s expiry date, and many travellers aren’t aware of this, especially those with passports issued before September 2018, when the ability to add extra months from a previous passport was removed.
Visit GOV.uk for all entry requirements and passport information.