Mum forced to fly alone with kids after Ryanair tells husband he cannot fly with them

A British mum was forced to fly alone with her children to Spain after her husband was denied boarding over a simple but crucial error.

Since leaving the European Union back in 2020 UK citizens have been subject to new rules when travelling abroad.

Longer queues at passport gates and some mobile phone providers charging EU roaming fees is just part of the new normal that Brit travellers have been forced to adjust to when leaving the country. But these changes, while annoying, are unlikely to derail your holiday completely.

However holidaymakers are now being warned about a new change to passport rules which could leave many of us stranded before we've even left UK soil.

If you have one of the red passports you'll want to pay attention, as you may be denied boarding onto your aircraft.

Now most of us may wrongly believe this rule is a precautionary measure, however one British family's holiday was nearly ruined by the change.

Sharing their experience on TikTok, Beth Turbutt-Rogers - aka The Budgeting Mum - explained that her husband Matt wasn't allowed to fly to Spain.

During the video, Beth explained that the family had checked in online beforehand, with nothing flagging up about her husband's passport details.

However, once the family arrived at the airport they were made aware that Matt couldn't fly.

"They told us his passport had expired, even though the expiry date was March 2025, meaning there were eight months left," she explained.

Beth went on to explain that due to Brexit, her husband's passport, which was issued in June 2014, had now 'technically expired' in June 2024 and he now wouldn't be able to travel.

Thankfully the couple learned that the rule didn't apply to all airlines, meaning that he was able to join the family after flying via Jet 2 the next day.

"So just remember you have 10 years from the date of issue on your passport rather than the expiry date," she added.

Viewers in the comments were left divided by the video, with many saying the family should have double-checked beforehand.

However another user who works as a travel agent pointed out that passport laws can vary by country and are often confusing.

"I'm a travel agent and I make everyone show me their passports. I know it's easy to judge people but it can be so confusing. Gutted this happened you," she wrote.

What are the laws around UK passports?

Prior to Brexit, UK travellers who renewed their passports before expiry could carry the months over onto their new one. Meaning a passport renewed eight months before expiry would be valid for 10 years and eight months.

However this is no longer valid, with the date of expiry now 10 years after issue.

It's also important to check whether a country has a requirement of either three or six months left on your passport to enter before booking your holiday.

LADBible has approached Ryanair for comment.