Martin Lewis shared passport advice for Brexit on ITV’s The Martin Lewis Money Show last night. Many members of the audience were worried about how Brexit will affect their holidays. Should the UK leave the EU without a deal, Britons will need to make sure their passports have at least six months left on the document. The Brexit date has now been set for April 12 – although no plan has yet been agreed upon.
Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis explained that if the UK leaves the EU there will be a surge in the number of people renewing their passport.
This means there could well be delays at the passport office for those updating their travel document.
One member of the ITV audience was unsure about waiting to renew their children’s passport until after the Brexit date.
However, Lewis advised that it would be best to renew UK passports as soon as possible in the case of delays.
To help Britons, the UK Government has published a website tool to check the validity of your passport.
The new regulations apply to passports issued by the UK, Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and Jersey.
The passport rules will apply for travel to and between countries in the Schengen area.
The Schengen zone covers 26 European states, including popular destinations such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Lewis also discussed booking holidays. He warned that on the day of Brexit itself there would be “complexity and confusion” and advised Britons to “leave the house a couple of hours earlier” than they would normally in the event of delays.
As for holiday money, Lewis explained that the closer the UK gets to a no deal Brexit, the weaker the pound gets.
One attitude to take to is to look at the rate now – if you are happy with it then buy now “and close your eyes to the future.”
However, another option was to hedge your bets and gets half of your travel money now and half when you go.
Lewis recommended going to travel money comparison sites for those buying now.
Martin has previously stressed the importance of travel insurance which is likely to go up in price if there is a no deal Brexit.
However, no matter what happens to the fate of the UK within the EU, he encourages Britons to buy travel insurance as soon as they book their holiday rather than just before they travel.
This is so you are completely covered ahead of your trip should you fall ill or there is a family bereavement.
“Get it now – you’re missing half the point of what you’re paying for if you wait,” Lewis said.
In airline news, easyJet has categorically shunned suggestions Brexit will have a negative impact on its flights. The budget carrier’s chief executive, Johan Lundgren, said the firm had performed in line with expectations, and added: “We have flown around 42 million customers with a significantly reduced number of cancellations and continued high levels of customer satisfaction.
“We are operationally well-prepared for Brexit. Now that the EU parliament has passed its air connectivity legislation and together with the UK’s confirmation that it will reciprocate, means that whatever happens, we’ll be flying as usual.”
