European Union/United Kingdom: Clarification on 10-Year Passport Validity Cap

Fragomen has received reports of UK travelers being denied boarding to Schengen Area destinations for having passports older than 10 years. Under UK rules, passports are issued for a 10-year validity plus the remaining validity of the prior passport, causing passports to be valid for over 10 years. Schengen rules require travelers to carry passports issued no more than 10 years before the entry date, and to have a remaining validity of at least three months beyond the planned return date. The European Commission recently confirmed both requirements to Fragomen and in the media, in line with the December 2021 Expert group for External Border Management discussion between the Commission and EU Member States. Nevertheless, UK travelers with passports near the 10-year validity are advised to seek passport renewal in time before travel, as passport renewal takes approximately 10 weeks and priority slots are difficult to obtain.