Every year, Brits get caught out as they haven’t checked basic details on their passports. To avoid being turned away at the airport, here are some things you must check now ahead of the peak school holiday season
The countdown to the biggest holiday getaway of the year has begun. In four weeks, most of the schools in England and Wales will break up for the six week holidays, and some schools in Scotland will be breaking up as soon as the end of next week.
That means peak travel time is upon us, and if you have an issue with your passport, then this is pretty much your final chance to get a new one issued before the summer season. Passport applications officially take three weeks once the relevant documents have been received, although there are expensive fast-track options.
Certain issues catch Brits out year after year, so here are some checks to make now, giving you just about enough time to sort a new passport if you need one.
1. Expiry date
Expiry date may sound like an obvious one, but it’s worth noting different countries have different rules. A recent survey from Saga found that 80% of Brits were unaware that different destinations have different requirements for expiry dates on passports. Worryingly, out of 500 people surveyed, 7% had already been denied entry to a destination due to not having enough time on their passport.
For the most popular EU destinations such as Spain, France, or Greece, your passport needs to have three months validity remaining on the day you plan to leave the EU. Therefore, you need to count those three months from your departure date, not the date you jet off on holiday.
Some countries such as Thailand and Indonesia ask for as much as six months validity after your arrival, while those visiting Australia from the UK simply need their passport to be valid for the duration of their stay.
2. Issue date
Many holidaymakers check the expiry date on their passport, but don’t pay attention to the issue date. This problem came about for Brits with burgundy passports, as pre-Brexit some validity could be carried over when a new passport was issued. This meant some passports ended up being valid for up to ten years and nine months.
All travellers entering the EU need a passport issued less than ten years ago, so if you have an older style passport make sure that you’re not about to fall outside of this window.
3. Proof of funds
Some countries including Spain, Portugal and France may ask you to provide extra documents when travelling as a tourist, and this can include proving that you have a certain minimum amount of funds during your stay.
Spain has long had requirements for travellers to present a proof of funds when they enter the country, but this has increased in 2026 and there are reports that holidaymakers have had checks carried out at holiday hotspots such as Malaga airport on arrival.
According to Spain’s official Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: “In 2026, the minimum amount required is 122.10 euros per person per day. In any case, and regardless of the length of stay, the traveller must have at least 1.089,90 euros or its equivalent in foreign currency.”
€122.10 is about £105.50, while €1,089.90 works out around £942 in today’s exchange rate. These funds can be in cash, traveller’s cheques, a credit card or debit card statement showing the available balance. It’s worth noting that Spain has a limit of €10,000 Euros, or equivalent currency, being brought into its borders.
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