The British have issued a warning to check their passports after a family missed a holiday of £ 3,000 due to a little-known rule. The Gourdes family believed that everyone was ready for their trip to the Algarve, Portugal, with all the paperwork in order.
However, the family told the BBC that they eventually had to cancel the trip due to a passport problem, thanks to a rule that applies in some European countries after Brexit. Nina Gourd’s mother was rejected from the flight – although she believed her passport was in order.
Nina’s passport must expire in February 2023 – much more than the three months until the expiration date required in some countries, according to Wales Online. But she was told at the airport that the passport would still not be valid in Portugal and that the period of validity was meaningless.
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Nina said: “The lady at Bournemouth Airport said it should be within 10 years of the date of issue. Nina’s passport was originally issued on May 29, 2012, which means it would expire next month.
But when she renewed it in 2012, it was done early – meaning that nine months were added to the document, giving it a new expiration date of February 28, 2023. Nina, husband John and their sons Jack, Harry and Charlie went home to Portugal instead.
Nina said: “When we booked our vacation, they only wanted our passport numbers and validity dates, nothing else. But the period of validity is clearly meaningless. “
Portugal is one of the 26 European countries in the Schengen area of free movement. After Brexit, some EU countries in the Schengen area insist that passports should not be more than 10 years old.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Community and Development told the BBC that the advice, published on its website, warned passengers that they could run into problems if they had a passport that lasted more than 10 years. Nina added: “We need to send the message that the expiration date of your passport is actually meaningless.”
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