Brits urged to check their passports NOW before tomorrow’s summer hol deadline

BRITS have been warned TOMORROW is their last chance to renew their expiring passports for a summer holiday.

Holidaymakers hoping to get away in the summer months have been warned to check if their passports have expired or will expire before their holiday as soon as possible.

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The Home Office warned of 10-week waiting times for renewals so Monday is the last day Brits should send off their passport if they need to update it.

The deadline is especially important for those wanting to escape the country when schools break up for the summer on July 18.

A whopping four and a half million Brits could put their holidays on the line if their passport isn’t valid by the time they go away.

There have been lengthy delays as the Passport Office processes renewals as Brits make holiday plans once again after years affected by Covid-19.

Demand for insurance has even doubled in recent months, according to Co-op Travel, as Brits rush to check their documents.

Seven per cent of the population’s passports are likely to expire before the schools’ out date in July, according to figures from the Passport Office.

Most Brits have been waiting for a holiday since before the Covid-19 pandemic, which ground the travel industry to a halt – so travellers need to be aware of their passport’s expiry date.

It’s illegal to travel with an expired one and most European countries actually require passports to be valid for at least three months after the date they intend to leave.

Some destinations might need passports which have been issued in the past ten years, so always stay on top of your destination’s requirements.

Graham Ward-Lush, head of travel at Co-op Insurance, told the Mirror: “Many of us won’t have had a proper summer holiday since 2019 and we know that millions of Brits all over the country are eagerly anticipating this year’s getaway, particularly as most travel restrictions have now been lifted.

“But with many passports having been lying in a drawer for the past two years, we’re urging travellers to check the expiration date on their own passports and also any family member’s today.

“Many families in England and Wales will be looking to get away at the end of July, which means May 9th is a good deadline to set yourself in order to ensure that new documents arrive back in time.

“There can’t be a more heart-breaking scenario than unearthing a passport the night before travel, only to realise that it is out of date.

“We want to help ensure that people all over the UK manage to have their dream holiday this summer and aren’t stranded at home due to invalid travel documentation!”

The cost for a passport renewal ranges from £75 to £85 and applications can be submitted digitally via the Government’s online service, or via a local Post Office.

If you’re in an urgent rush, there’s the option of applying for a fast-track passport, although people are struggling to find appointments due to high demand.

The service costs more than the regular passport application, with a charge of £122 for a child passport, or £142 for an adult passport.

Yet travellers are getting worried online and have posted about the risk of missing their holiday due to the Passport Office’s delays.

One tweeted: “Is there even anyone working at the passport office??

“Queue and then get cut off? Ten times over? What’s that all about. I’d be happily waiting in a queue for hours if it meant I could actually speak to someone!”

Another mum posted a picture of a TUI countdown to her family trip to Disney World: “Thanks @TUIUK for our @WaltDisneyWorld countdown.

“No thanks to @HM_Passport #passportoffice for taking almost 11 weeks and still not returning our sons renewal passport.

“Visa’s needed to be done 72 hours before.”