Do I really need 15 months on my passport for Greece?

Have a question? Ask our expert Simon Calder

Don’t let paperwork spoil your trip to the Aegean (Getty/iStock)

Q I am going on holiday to Greece in July this year and am concerned about passport validity if we leave the EU with no deal on 29 March. Looking at the passport requirements it appears that 15 months’ validity will be required for Greece. This does not appear to be in line with other EU countries which require only six months. Can you explain why there is this difference?

Norman H

A Thank you for getting in touch. Sorry to hear about your concerns. They are perfectly understandable, given the confusion surrounding this subject – some of it provided by inaccurate messages by the British government. Please take no notice of blanket statements by the Home Office such as the online advertisements it is issuing saying: “In the event of a no-deal Brexit you’ll need at least six months left on your passport from the start of your trip.” For many non-EU countries (eg the US, Japan, Australia) you will not. But for all European Union nations except Ireland, you could need much more validity on your passport.