The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
British Airways corrects online advice about passport validity
Exclusive: BA took 10 days to remove the false assertions from its website
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.British Airways has finally corrected misleading advice about passport validity on its website.
BA had claimed, wrongly: “To travel on an international flight your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the date you enter a country.”
Many UK passports issued before September 2018 are valid for more than 10 years. It was customary for HM Passport Office to add up to nine months of unexpired time for renewals. The policy ended as part of the Brexit changes made by the last government.
The Independent estimates that around 15 million British travellers still have passports issued before September 2018, and many of those will be valid for over 10 years.
Fortunately, in the vast majority of countries British Airways serves, the issue date of a visitor’s passport is irrelevant. Many countries, including the US, Australia, Canada and Mexico, will admit travellers whose passports were issued over 10 years ago.
Those nations allow British visitors to stay up to and including the expiry date of the passport; many other countries require a certain length of time before expiry, typically three or six months.
The only part of the world that is concerned with the issue date as well as the expiry date of a passport is the European Union and wider Schengen Area.
On 22 July The Independent was alerted to BA’s misinformation by a US-bound traveller who had taken a day off work to attend an emergency passport renewal appointment on the basis of the airline’s advice. They learnt only later that their existing travel document would have been valid for America.
From 1 August British Airways’ website has been updated with the incorrect information removed.
The airline now says, correctly, than British passport holder who wish to travel to an EU member state (except Ireland) or the Schengen Area nations of Switzerland, Norway and Iceland must carry a passport “issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country”.
A second condition applies for UK visitors to the European Union: on the intended day of departure from the EU, the passport must have at least three months to run.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments