Tom Earnshaw
Brits are being warned about a little-known passport rule that UK citizens need to be aware of more than ever since leaving the European Union.
Before Brexit, those with a UK passport could come and go across the EU and Schengen Area as part of the free movement rules that come with every country that has EU membership.
But leaving the EU changed everything for the UK, with Brits now subject to many of the same passport rules as the rest of the world when it comes to border access.
We have to queue up, get asked why we're coming to an EU country, and get our passport stamped by border control.
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And it is this process that has rediscovered a little-known rule that many more Brits will be experiencing as we head to European destinations such as Spain, France, Germany, and Italy.
Ultimately, if you fall foul of this, you could be 'turned away' from the country you're heading to.
The rule is all to do with the space left in your passport to issue stamps for entering and leaving a control.
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They act as a formal way of identifying where you have been and for how long.
As a result, you must have a specific amount of space left to avoid the risk of being turned away from your flight, with at least two pages clear of any markings or stamps.
Greg Wilson, CEO and travel insurance expert at Quotezone.co.uk, explained: “Filling up the pages in your passport may have felt like an unlikely task years ago, but since Brexit, many are finding their passport pages becoming fuller as new rules mean UK passport holders must have their passport stamped each time they enter and leave the EU.
“If you do run out of pages in your passport, you will have to renew your passport sooner than its expiry date, so make sure to keep a keen eye on the remaining empty pages. If you are buying a new passport, make sure to use trusted sources only.
"Don’t be tempted by websites offering express shipping or cheaper prices as you could be caught out and end up spending even more to get your hands on a compliant UK passport. Being turned away at the airport for a non-compliant passport would be devastating, which is why we are urging everyone heading off this Christmas to be aware of how the rules could affect them.
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The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office recommends you have two blank pages for your passport when arriving in a new country.
It also says you need to make sure your passport's 'date of issue' is less than 10 years before the date you land in your destination of choice.
If you renewed your passport before 1 October, 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago.
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John Heppenstall, the former Head of Consular Campaigns at the Foreign Office, said: "Passports are essential for travelling and it is important to take care of them. Although most holidaymakers do, a lot of consular time could be saved if more people treated their passport as something as valuable as their phone or wallet.
"We also see people travelling who are not aware that certain countries require a UK passport holder to have six months of validity left on their passport from the date of entry, and even up to two blank pages in your passport. We strongly advise people to look after their passport, keep it safe and check its validity well in advance of travel."
"If you’re denied access to your flight for issues such as an invalid passport, your travel insurance is unlikely to protect you," Wilson added.