Passport Expiry Question!

Fizman

Hey all,
My parents are travelling to Spain for a week next month, and are returning on June 13th.....however both of their passports are due to expire on June 16th. Will this lead to any problems? Will they just be better off getting new ones sorted before then or is there no need to panic?

Any advice appreciated

BuffyBot

Shouldn't be a problem as it's in the EU...but a valuble lesson for 10 years time

Fizman

Thats what i was thinking. The only thing they were worried about is the number of airports they are visiting. Trip over is Shannon->Stansted...then Stansted->Jerez. Way back is Seville->Dublin. Thats 5 different airports in 7 days.....what are the chances they'll come across someone in customs having a bad day....you know. Would it be safer to get in contact with Ryanair altogether?

Dodge

No real need tbh. If its valid until June 16th, they can fly on June 16th within the EU.

Dev 17

You may get away with it but for peace of mind just get a new passport. They aren't very expensive. I mean if a flight is delayed or something due to bad weather or a terrorist threat like last year you might get the sh*tty end of the stick. Play it safe, particularly when it comes to airport security or you could end up getting held back longer than expected.

WindSock

Yeah, may as well just apply for a new passport now, sure it will have to be done anyway. Better off safe than sorry, especially if there are loads of airports to be going through.

vibrant

Ryanair ask for a passport that will be valid for the duration of the trip.

From their website

Do I need a passport?

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It is the passenger's personal responsibility to ensure that they have valid documentation which meets the requirements of Ryanair, immigration and other governmental authorities at every destination.Any fines, penalties, payments or expenditures incurred as a result of breach of this requirement shall be paid by or charged to you. In order to ensure compliance Ryanair recommends that you carry your valid passport (and visa if applicable) on all journeys.

N.B. Passengers travelling to non EU countries must ensure that they meet the immigration entry requirements for that country.

In accordance with Article 28(1) of the 1951 UN Convention, a valid UN Refugee Convention Travel Document issued by a Government in place of a valid passport is acceptable.

Expired or damaged forms of photo-ID will not be accepted for any flight. Failure to present valid photo-ID matching the names on your reservation will result in your being refused check-in without refund.

DO NOT think that they have a leg to stand on if they are refused boarding on a flight with an expired passport - they don't. They would have had to click a box to state that they agreed with Ryanair's T&C's when booking their flights. (this goes for all airlines by the way!) and there would have been something in there about having a current passport.

So they need to get new passports.

The good news is, if they go to the Passport Office with printouts showing their travel dates, their applications will be expedited, to something like 3-day, or next-day turnaround.