Travel with Katie Butler: Passport rules for travel to Europe

Katie Butler, Total Travel, writes: We are receiving lots of calls surrounding passport validity, the need to have a visa to enter Europe and what can be taken in hand luggage – so it seemed fit for this week to have a re-cap on all these and ensure you are summer prepared.

Passports:

Under the post-Brexit rules passports must have been issued less than ten years before your departure from the UK and any additional months on your passport are not valid for travel to the the EU.

Although the rules have now been in place for a long while it is estimated that approximately 200 passengers per day are turned away at the airport due to not having the correct validity on their passport and research by The Independent newspaper found that potentially 32 million people with old red passports could be caught out with the rule.

If you are unsure we are quite happy for you to give us a quick call and we will be more than happy to talk you through it.

Remember, the rules apply to the EU only.

Visa Waiver Scheme for the EU:

Again due to Brexit, UK travellers to Europe are now deemed as arriving from a 'third country', meaning we will be subject to new visa rules, but do not panic.

The scheme known as ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) was due to launch at the back end of 2022 and has been pushed back several times and according to the ETIAS website will now be scheduled to come into play in spring 2025 and it is possible that start date could be pushed back again.

The EU has already said the ETIAS will cost seven Euros each and will last for three years. We will of course keep you updated on the progress of this.

Hand Luggage:

I think most of us are aware that air travel is about to get a little bit easier in relation to what you will be able to carry in your hand baggage.

However, not all airports are ready right now, in fact at this time only London City, Teeside and more recently Birmingham International Airport are good to go.

We do know that at Leeds Bradford and Manchester Airport, some passengers have been lucky enough to use the new enhanced security scanners. However, both airports advise that the systems are not fully in place throughout the whole airport and the 100ml rules still apply until we are told otherwise.

In Europe the same goes, in that airports are adding the new technology with trial lanes in place at many destinations as the enhanced scanners are added gradually.

Palma Airport in Majorca is expected to be ready by the end of 2024.

May was top- selling month again last week, accounting for a 13 per cent share of our new bookings, followed with last minute deals to travel in April, taking up 11 per cent – showing that many of you want to see some sunshine as opposed to the constant rain we are blessed with right now.

Majorca and Tenerife remain top-selling destinations.