RYANAIR WRONGLY REFUSED MY VALID PASSPORT - NEED ADVICE ON COMPENSATION

eskbanker

Grumpy_chap said:

eskbanker said:

But your wife's passport would be valid for a trip to the EU in September, as long as she returned by May 2026 - obviously it's the holder's decision, and she wouldn't have been able to enter the EU after November 2025 on it, but the post office staff were correct that renewal now is premature, albeit maybe still not being completely accurate about why?

OK - thanks.

So we have even misunderstood the lay-persons explanations, such as that given here:
Martin Lewis: Two passport checks before you go abroad

We read all that as meaning we needed three months validity and three months until the ten-year date.  
You are now saying we could have travelled as still under ten years and still having three months validity.

Too late now, as the fee has been paid and the old passport sent.
  

I don't recall seeing that article before, but yes, it's wrong!

The 'within ten years from issue date' check on entry has no three month addition, so a passport issued in November 2015 is definitely valid to enter the EU in September 2025 - the definitive version of the rules are on authoritative sites such as gov.uk or EU equivalent:

Your passport must: 

• have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago
• have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area (the expiry date does not need to be within 10 years of the date of issue)

Peter999_2

Grumpy_chap said:

eskbanker said:

But your wife's passport would be valid for a trip to the EU in September, as long as she returned by May 2026 - obviously it's the holder's decision, and she wouldn't have been able to enter the EU after November 2025 on it, but the post office staff were correct that renewal now is premature, albeit maybe still not being completely accurate about why?

OK - thanks.

So we have even misunderstood the lay-persons explanations, such as that given here:
Martin Lewis: Two passport checks before you go abroad

We read all that as meaning we needed three months validity and three months until the ten-year date.  
You are now saying we could have travelled as still under ten years and still having three months validity.

Too late now, as the fee has been paid and the old passport sent.
  

It sounds like he has misled you there (to be honest, I'm no fan of his, "Captain Obvious" we call him in our house).    I wouldn't worry too much about it though,  if it were me I probably would have renewed it now just to be absolutely sure there would be no issues (even though there wouldn't have been).     I got caught up in a visa type issue once when on a work trip and it was one of the worst experiences of my life - I would much rather pay a bit more money and not ever go through that   (it was completely my fault for not reading the rules correctly - no-one else to blame).

Grumpy_chap

eskbanker said:

I don't recall seeing that article before, but yes, it's wrong!

Peter999_2 said:

It sounds like he has misled you there 

Well, I feel a little better now.

Mrs G_C was all keen to actually book a week ago, but she recalled watching Martin on TV mentioning the 10-year thing, so we reviewed (very diligently) against his article and concluded the passport needed renewal before travel.

Mrs G_C wanted to book and then sort the passport, which I was nervous about.  We checked the passport time on the gov website and it helpfully said "up to 10 weeks, or longer".  Isn't every period of time up to 10 weeks, or longer?  Except, I suppose, exactly 10 weeks.

I note there is a thread suggesting the current passport processing time is quick:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6610150/online-passport-renewal-impressed-with-the-speed#latest

For reference, there is also a thread discussing Martin's "passport checks" article:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6608528/martin-lewis-going-abroad-soon-two-passport-checks-to-stop-you-being-turned-back#latest

Marvel1

Pollycat said:

Jenni_D said:

photome said:

It’s hard to believe that there isn’t anyone left  who doesn’t know the 10 year rule by now for travel to the EU, it has been done to death on all media outlets 

I'd never heard of the 10 year rule until reading this thread. Then again, I've never experienced (or heard of) a passport validity longer than 10 years either so I would have had no need to know about it.  

My passport issued in 2015 had 10 years and 8 months on it.
I've been aware since Brexit that the 8 months may cause a problem.

This has been discussed on lots of threads on here and in the media.

To be fair I don't read every thread on here or visit come categoiries, and don't pay that attention to the media. 

Like where I work, it's easy for me to know what I call simple knowledge but not to some customers.

Pollycat

Marvel1 said:

Pollycat said:

Jenni_D said:

photome said:

It’s hard to believe that there isn’t anyone left  who doesn’t know the 10 year rule by now for travel to the EU, it has been done to death on all media outlets 

I'd never heard of the 10 year rule until reading this thread. Then again, I've never experienced (or heard of) a passport validity longer than 10 years either so I would have had no need to know about it.  

My passport issued in 2015 had 10 years and 8 months on it.
I've been aware since Brexit that the 8 months may cause a problem.

This has been discussed on lots of threads on here and in the media.

To be fair I don't read every thread on here or visit come categoiries, and don't pay that attention to the media. 

Like where I work, it's easy for me to know what I call simple knowledge but not to some customers.

But hopefully you would check that your travel documents are valid before rocking up at the airport...even if you don't read every thread on here (neither do I) and don't pay attention to the media.

Work is different.
I'd expect a salesperson/business to know more than I do as a customer.

But the responsibility for ensuring your travel documents are valid is personal responsibility.

The OP was lucky he managed to get to Rome at all.

la531983

keepsim said:

Thanks for everyone’s comments. The Jet2 lady who guided me is the winner

She really wasnt, how many times do you need to be told you got lucky?

molerat

Item on BBC Morning Live this morning of people being refused boarding with valid passports due to poor staff training at the check in.  Less than 10 year old passport with 10 year date expiring whilst in EU but within validity period and the EU rule being applied to non EU destinations.  So if your passport is coming up to 10 year since issue best get it changed to prevent problems at check in.

born_again

Easily solved.
Passport is valid for travel up to date of expiry. Just like most other documents.

So you must have a return booked within that date.
If you do not return within date, you have to renew while oversea's at an increased cost. As well as being at risk of breaking immigration laws of the country you are in...

GardenBirdWatcher

born_again said:

Easily solved.

In theory yes, but in practice getting the EU to alter their rules to ignore passports valid for longer than 10 years would probably take so long that all the impacted passports would have all expired by the time they implemented the change.

vacheron

molerat said:

Item on BBC Morning Live this morning of people being refused boarding with valid passports due to poor staff training at the check in.  Less than 10 year old passport with 10 year date expiring whilst in EU but within validity period and the EU rule being applied to non EU destinations.  So if your passport is coming up to 10 year since issue best get it changed to prevent problems at check in.

I agree, it's like people I know who get their car serviced and then come back to the same garage 3-4 weeks later when the MOT is due. Just swallow the small cost to get them done together and buy yourself some convenience. 

A passport costs about 80p per month. For the price of a pint in the airport you could renew it almost a year early and avoid all risks of being non-compliance or staff misinterpretation completely!