Woman left in tears after surprise holiday is ruined due to little known passport rule

A British woman was left in floods of tears and hundreds of pounds out of pocket after a surprise holiday to celebrate her and her boyfriend's anniversary went up in smoke due to a little-known passport rule she had fallen foul of.

Carla Acosta thought she was heading on a surprise romantic getaway to one of the most stunning destinations in Europe. But she was stopped from boarding her flight by airport staff due to the passport issue that she had no idea about.

She's now looking to warn other people to make sure to check their travel documents before going to the airport so as to not encounter a similar issue and lose out, both emotionally and financially.

Passport issue ruins holiday

29-year-old Carla was gifted the trip to the Italian capital city of Rome by her boyfriend to celebrate another year of being with her partner.

But the London-based fashion designer was left with her head in her hands and being consoled by her boyfriend after falling foul of an EU passport rule by just four days.

"My boyfriend surprised me with a six-day trip to Rome to celebrate four years of us being together and at that moment I remember feeling super excited to go on the trip," Carla said.

"As it was a surprise and I only had about 10 to 12 days to get everything in order.

"My biggest worry was getting my leaves approved at work and what I was going to wear for the trip. Checking my passport didn't even cross my mind in all the excitement."

Carla and her boyfriend in the airport (Carla Acosta)

Passport issue explained

The couple arrived at the airport for their early morning flight, checking in for the flight at the counter before heading in to the airport waiting areas.

But when approaching her boarding gate to get on the plane to Rome, Carla said the staff were shocked at how she had got that far with her passport saying what it said.

"My passport was set to expire on June 10th and I was flying on March 14th and didn't have three months from that day to the expiration day," she said.

"I had missed it by just four days. I was told I couldn't board the flight because of the three month validity rule, and it made me feel horrible."

Since Brexit, under EU law Brits must have a passport with an expiry date of at least three months after the planned day to leave Italy.

This counts for any country in the Schengen Area, which is Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Left disappointed and £400 out of pocket (Carla Acosta)

'Go without me'

Carla said she had told her partner to fly without her as they had friends waiting for them to arrive but he refused.

"If you buy your own ticket and something like this happens you probably feel stupid and disappointed, but as it was a gift from my boyfriend, I felt extremely guilty that I had not checked my passport," she said.

"I cried a lot and felt really bad for my boyfriend because it was a waste of his money, and we couldn't go to Rome to celebrate our relationship."

In total the couple lost £400 on flights and hotels, with Carla calling it a 'huge let down'.

Better check that expiry date (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

She said: "Now, I always check my passport and visas before planning each trip. I wasn't aware of the three month rule to go to EU countries, and I wish I had been more careful. My advice to other travellers would be to always be extra cautious and check your travel documents before planning your trips so this doesn't happen to you."

Post Office data indicates that January is a peak time for passport renewals. In 2024, the January to March period saw a 69 percent increase in passport renewals at Post Office branches compared to the rest of the year.

With the government recommending a three-week renewal process, acting promptly is essential to avoid extra costs or disruptions ahead of February Half Term.