Is my passport OK for Europe?

Checked against gov.uk on 7 October 2026

Two checks. Issued less than 10 years before you fly out, and valid for 3 months after you come home. Fail either and you need a new one before you book: £102, or £192 for the one-week service.

Do this

  1. Look at the date of issue. More than 10 years before your outbound date? Renew.
  2. Look at the expiry date. Less than 3 months after you come home? Renew.
  3. Add your passport to your account before the deadline shown there. The airline and the hostel need it.
Add my passport details
10 yearsFrom date of issue. Extra months added to old passports don't count.
3 monthsLeft after the day you leave Europe.
£102Standard renewal online. Check current waiting times on gov.uk.
£192One-week Fast Track. Premium same-week is £239.50.

More detail

Why the 10-year rule bites

UK passports renewed before October 2018 often had up to nine months added, pushing expiry past 10 years from issue. Europe ignores those extra months.

Damaged passport

Stained photo page, torn or missing page, cover coming away: airlines refuse it. Replace it at the normal fee.

Non-UK passports

Same 10-year and 3-month test at most consulates, plus two blank pages.

Ireland

Not Schengen, so these rules don’t apply. Airlines and ferries still ask for a passport, so take it.

My renewal hasn’t come back yet

Tell us straight away. Without a passport you can’t travel and we can’t refund the trip.

Sources: gov.uk: passport validity for France (same rule across Schengen), gov.uk: renew a passport, gov.uk: get a passport urgently. Rules belong to the governments and airlines that set them and they change; their page is the final word.

Still not sure? Email contact@unilifeuk.com with your trip name.All questions