THE Home Office has issued a passport warning to Brits travelling to Europe after Brexit.
Passports will need to be valid for at least six months after October 31 – compared to current rules that only require them to be valid for the duration of your stay.
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The government is sending one million text messages warning passport holders to renew them early.
Some passports have more than ten years left on them, as the government previously allowed Brits to roll over up to nine months from their previous passport when applying for a new one.
However, the Home Office advises that additional months on top of the ten years will not count towards the six months needed to travel.
Brits who entered their mobile phone number when applying for a passport will be messaged by the government.
To check if you need to renew your passport, the government have created a free online passport checker.
Families travelling abroad can see if they need to get a new travel document by inputting the intended dates of travel, as well as date of birth, passport issue date and expiry date.
The checker will then explain whether a new passport is needed.
The new rules will apply to all passports issued by the UK, Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey.
A new adult passport costs £75.50 if you apply online.
Why do I need at least six months left on my passport?
Brits who renew their passports will have the valid document for 10 years from the date of issue.
However, changes to the system in September last year mean time left on expiring passports cannot be carried over to the new one.
In a No Deal Brexit scenario, Brits visiting Schengen Area countries, including Spain, France and Greece, will be governed by the same rules as visitors from non-EU countries.
This means that they will need at least six months left on their passport to enter the EU.
The Government has a free passport checker that you can use to check whether you need to renew your passport before you travel, which you can find here.
You simply fill out the country you’re going to, pick whether you’re travelling before or after October 31 this year, your date of birth as well as the passport’s issue and expiry dates.
Brits are advised to allow at least three weeks for it to arrive if renewing it online.
However this can be longer during busy periods.
The text message reminders are part of the government’s ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ campaign.
The campaign hopes to help individuals and businesses prepare for Brexit next month.
A similar ad campaign regarding post-Brexit passports in January advised Brits to check before travelling to avoid any problems at the airport.
Brits could also need additional driving permits when travelling around Europe.
Currently, British drivers can use their UK licence to hire and use a car in countries in Europe.
Visas, mobile roaming and travel insurance could all change after Brexit.
