HM urge travellers to 'check passport now' if you want to go on holiday

Brits are being urged to check their passports if they're planning to go on holiday over spring or the Easter holidays, or risk being turned away at the airport.

HM Passport Office issued the warning ahead of the peak travel season, with thousands of holidaymakers set to travel overseas in the next few weeks.

In a social media post, they warned Brits to 'check your passport now,' alongside a link to the government website where you can renew, update or replace your passport.

When it comes to checking your passport, there are two important dates to note, including the issue date and the expiry date.

This is most important if you're planning on jetting off around Europe, as post-Brexit regulations mean that Brits travelling to the Schengen region must have a valid passport that was issued less than 10 years before your departure date and must be valid for at least three months after you return.

Planning spring or Easter travel? Check your passport now.
If you need to renew, go to: https://t.co/wmJnvGiBl2 #PlanAhead pic.twitter.com/eTPy6gEhQk

— His Majesty’s Passport Office (@HM_Passport) March 10, 2026

In recent months this has caught many UK travellers off guard, as the old UK adult passports were valid for up to 10 years and nine months, depending on the amount of time carried on from a previous passport.

Meanwhile, if you're travelling elsewhere in the world, such as to Thailand, China, Australia, India, the UAE or Indonesia, you'll need a minimum of six months left on your passport from the date of your arrival.

With that in mind, it's crucial to make sure you're aware of the dates on your passport, as well as the rules of the country you're travelling to.

To avoid any other potential passport-related disasters, you should also make sure your document has not been physically damaged in any way, as this could make it invalid and again, result in you getting turned away at the airport.

Meanwhile, if you happen to be travelling with Ryanair this spring, you'll need to check you're up to date with the budget airline's baggage policy before you fly.

It comes after one family, who found themselves slapped with a whopping £400 fine for not having the correct sized bags on their flight home, according to Which? Travel.

Meanwhile other users cautioned about being caught out by extra strict checks, with bags they previously thought were safe to use being deemed 'too big' or 'too heavy'.

"People should avoid Ryanair's high fees for oversized bags," a spokesperson for Ryanair said at the time (via The Mirror).

"They can do so by simply travelling with bags that meet our agreed dimensions. Our sizers are bigger than our permitted dimensions, so if that the bag fits in the sizer, it gets on, if it doesn't, it gets charged."