Once again post-Brexit passport rules are causing confusion for both passengers and airline staffers, resulting in many holidaymakers missing their flights and losing hundreds of pounds.
Brexit spurred a wave of updates to passport policies that are still confusing passengers and airline workers today.
Recently, confusion about passport requirements led easyJet staff to incorrectly identify a woman’s passport as invalid for travel to the European Union. As reported by The Independent, Karen Woodhouse was meant to fly to Amsterdam with her family when she was turned away due to concerns with her passport’s validity. Despite the fact that her passport met all the criteria required of ‘third-country nationals’ including the 10-year rule and the three-month rule.
According to the 10-year rule, British passport holders need to show that their passport has been issued less than 10 years before the day they enter the European Union. Similarly, under the three-month rule, British passports must be valid for at least three months after the day travellers plan to leave the European Union.
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Ms Woodhouse’s passport met both criteria and was valid for travel out of the European Union up to June 1, 2025. However, easyJet staffers mistakenly cited that her passport needed to have three months left until it was 10 years old.
As a result, the passenger was unable to fly with her family and had to wait until the next day to fly to Amsterdam with KLM. She had no issues with her passport the subsequent day.
easyJet has issued an apology and promised to reimburse her for the alternative flight. An easyJet spokesperson has said: “We are very sorry that Ms Woodhouse was incorrectly denied boarding on her flight from London Stansted to Amsterdam on 9 April. The guidance was not correctly followed and so we are looking into this with our ground handling partner at London Stansted airport.”
But this is not the first time the post-Brexit passport policies have caused confusion. In December 2024, a British couple was turned away at the boarding gate for not meeting the 10-year passport rule.
British citizens with the old burgundy passports or passports issued before September 2018 would have previously found their passports were valid for an additional nine months after the 10-year expiry due to a now axed practice. The nine-month leeway was meant as a buffer for soon-to-expire passports.
Because of this, Paul Mason and his partner Zoe Rooney had to cancel a trip to Athens when Rooney was turned away at a Stansted boarding gate. Despite her passport’s expiry date being August 2025, it was deemed invalid as it was over ten years old.
The Hertfordshire couple missed out on their first-ever trip to Greece and the opportunity to see their favourite band, Kosheen. The incident has left them over £1,000 out of pocket. Rooney revealed they had spent £465 on accommodation, £408 on return flights, £108 on airport parking, £50 on fuel to get to the airport, £50 on drinks and food at the airport, and £60 on gig tickets.
British passport holders – particularly the millions still carrying burgundy passports – are now being warned to confirm their passport is valid for travel into the European Union and Schengen Zone. The 10-year rule does not apply for travel to Ireland.