Exclusive:
A British woman has warned others about checking their passport, after her anniversary trip to Rome was ruined because she did not have enough time left on her passport to travel
A designer from London, was denied boarding a flight for anniversary trip to Rome due not checking whether her passport was valid.
Carla Acosta, 29, was gifted a surprise trip to Rome by her boyfriend but was denied boarding her flight because her passport didn’t meet the EU’s post-Brexit rule requiring at least three months validity.
“My boyfriend surprised me with a six-day trip to Rome to celebrate four years of us being together and at that moment I remember feeling super excited to go on the trip. As it was a surprise and I only had about 10-12 days to get everything in order, my biggest worry was getting my leaves approved at work and what I was going to wear for the trip, checking my passport didn’t even cross my mind in all the excitement,” Carla told the Mirror.
“When we arrived at the airport early in the morning, all was good and I got my passport and tickets checked at the counter before heading in but when I was at the boarding gate the staff there were shocked at how I got this far as my passport was set to expire on June 10th and I was flying on March 14th and didn’t have three months from that day to the expiration day — I had missed it by just four days. I was told I couldn’t board the flight because of the three-month validity rule, and it made me feel horrible.
“If you buy your own ticket and something like this happens you probably feel stupid and disappointed, but as it was a gift from my boyfriend, I felt extremely guilty that I had not checked my passport. I even told him to go alone and at least meet our friends who live there, but he refused to go without me on our anniversary. I cried a lot and felt really bad for my boyfriend because it was a waste of his money, and we couldn’t go to Rome to celebrate our relationship.
“We lost a total of more than £400 in flight and hotel bookings. It was a huge let down and now, I always check my passport and visas before planning each trip. I wasn’t aware of the three-month rule to go to EU countries, and I wish I had been more careful. My advice to other travellers would be to always be extra cautious and check your travel documents before planning your trips so this doesn’t happen to you.”
New research from the Post Office has revealed that nearly half of UK passport holders who are planning on travelling abroad (48 percent) aim to book their 2025 holiday abroad in January. Of those planning on booking trips abroad for February half-term holidays, 74 percent are considering booking in January.
However, of those surveyed, 25 percent admit they never check the validity of their passports when booking a trip. Four in ten people also typically book their holidays abroad two months or less in advance, and 12 percent book just one to three weeks before departure.
Travel expert and writer, Clare Vooght, advises individuals to check their passport’s validity in advance to ensure it meets the entry requirements for your trip.
Currently, when visiting EU countries, your passport needs to be valid for three months, and the issue date must be less than 10 years before your departure date. Six months of passport validity is either recommended or required for destinations including the US, Canada, Australia, Dubai and Thailand.
If you need to apply for a new passport, the Passport Office estimates that a standard application takes around three weeks. So, if you’re planning to travel this February half-term, be sure to check those expiry dates as soon as possible.
Richard Fleetwood, postmaster at town centre Washington post office which handles more than 70 passport applications monthly on average, said: “A couple of weeks ago a customer came in asking how to renew his passport as it had expired, and he was going on holiday the next month. He was worried he had left it too late and wouldn’t be able to go away with his friends.
“Our team talked him through the process through our Check & Send service. He came back to store with everything he needed later that day, and within 10 minutes we had completed his application, checked and sent it. He came back with his new passport to thank us — he couldn’t believe how quick and easy we made it.
“Many customers are unaware of the rules around passport validity or the specific requirements of their destination country. My top tip to all travellers this February half term is simple — plan ahead. Be sure to check your passport’s expiry date and validity before booking your trip and make sure to always review the travel rules for your destination.
“The February Half Term break will be the first opportunity for many people to travel in the New Year and staying on top of your passport expiry date can save you a lot of stress and disappointment when the trip does arrive. We find that January is always the most popular time for passport applications so would recommend that people check their passport and visit their local Post Office early if they need a new passport.”
