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Martin Lewis: Going abroad soon? Two passport checks to stop you being turned back
"My daughter wasn't allowed to board the plane even though she had seven months left on her passport." MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis explains two key checks to ensure this doesn't happen to you (while it differs per country, these'll generally keep you safe), in the latest episode of ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live.
The requirements haven't changed in several years. However, constantly reminding people, and informing those who haven't been abroad for a few years, can't do any harm. One the EU passports have all be replaced by UK ones the issue will disappear.
The new one that has nearly caught me out recently is the changes brought in for international travel.
If you have a UK passport there are now new things to apply for before travel. You need to check what is required by the country you are travelling to (ESTA for the USA, ETA for Canada etc).
And if you don't have a UK passport you need to ensure that you have an ETA for entering the UK if the individual is visiting and potentially have an eVisa if you are a permanent resident but not a British citizen. eVisa applications are currently taking up to 9 months to be processed.
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The new one that has nearly caught me out recently is the changes brought in for international travel.
If you have a UK passport there are now new things to apply for before travel. You need to check what is required by the country you are travelling to (ESTA for the USA, ETA for Canada etc).
And if you don't have a UK passport you need to ensure that you have an ETA for entering the UK if the individual is visiting and potentially have an eVisa if you are a permanent resident but not a British citizen. eVisa applications are currently taking up to 9 months to be processed.
Is this new? I thought ESTAs etc have been necessary for quite a while.
We needed visas for our first trip to India back in 1994.
My passport was getting close to the line (expired August 2025) with added months to the 10 years. With 3 holidays booked for this year, I've just renewed it and it was back in less than 2 weeks.
The requirements haven't changed in several years. However, constantly reminding people, and informing those who haven't been abroad for a few years, can't do any harm. One the EU passports have all be replaced by UK ones the issue will disappear.
It must disappear by the end of 2028 because the carry over of months stopped in 2018. Mine still looks like an EU passport but was issued in January 2019 and has no months carried over. Valid for exactly 10 years.
… and potentially have an eVisa if you are a permanent resident but not a British citizen. eVisa applications are currently taking up to 9 months to be processed.
You’ll need to explain that a bit more. If you’re a permanent resident then you’re still entitled to come in and out irrespective of whether you have an eVisa or not.
What is the point in adding the extra months on yo the passport if you can't use them?
1. You don't get extra months added on any more.
2. Not every country has the same entry rules. The country I'm visiting later this year only stipulates that your passport must have an expiry date of at least 6 months after the date you arrive. Nothing at all about the age of the passport.
