Urgent warning issued to anyone still with an old burgundy British passport

If you're going into 2025 and you still have your trusty burgundy British passport then you might want to act quickly.

We're a quarter of the way into the new century and you don't want to be caught out by time's remorseless progression do you?

It would be the ultimate embarrassment to head abroad on your holidays only to show up with a passport that is out of date, and if you've still got the old burgundy passport then yours very well might be getting there.

These days Brits getting a passport will get a new one, for reasons that are myriad and complicated but can really be summed up with the word 'Brexit'.

The old burgundy ones have no longer been issued since 2020, which means the time limit on your passport might well be reaching its end.

It won't be long before these don't work any more. (Huw Fairclough/Getty Images)

UK passports for adults can last about 10 years, but there have been travellers caught out by the rules of some countries which require you to have a certain amount of time left on it.

Even if the span of your planned stay falls within your passport validity date there are countries which will expect you to have several months left on it at least.

Alvaro Iturmendi, a travel insurance expert for Confused.com, who've got a handy online checker to let you know whether or not you've got enough time to make your journey on your current passport, pointed out that you could end up in all sorts of trouble if you tried going on holiday without a working passport.

He said: "Booking your holidays can be very exciting, and a welcome distraction to the beginning of the year blues.

"But no matter how far in advance you’re planning, it’s never too early to check your passport’s validity, so you don’t get caught out last minute.

Get yours checked before you travel, it's less hassle than finding out at the airport. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

"Our research found that less than half (43 percent) of travellers knew that if you’re heading to the EU, your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before their departure date.

"And if your passport doesn’t meet this regulation, it could mean you’re denied entry into the country, or may not even be allowed on the flight in the first place.

"Either way, it’s likely to lead to a lot of disruption to your holiday plans."

It would be a terrible shame for any Brits who've got to the trouble and expense of booking a holiday to set off, only to discover they can't actually go.

Heed the warning, check your passport, make sure it's been issued with enough time for travel and brush up on how valid countries are expecting it to be when you go there.

Don't let that spot on the beach you booked go to waste.