Going to Lanzarote, passport nearly expired.

falan

Hi all, I'm going on holiday for a week to Lanzarote 28th July-4th August, Trouble is my 10 year passport expires on the 24th August. Will i be ok to travel?
Its Ryanair if that helps.
Thanks in advance

murpho999

10 seconds of googling found below info from Dept of Foreign Affairs.

You need a passport to enter Spain. While there is no minimum passport validity requirement, your passport must be valid for the planned period of your stay.

Link to Website.


So you should be ok. The fact that it's Ryanair makes no difference as it's the Spanish immigration that have the passport requirements.

If you are really worried about it you still have time to arrange a new passport via Passport Express.

MrWalsh

I was in the same situation last year, Lanzarote and Ryanair too!

I was actually closer to expiry than you, I think it was set to expire a week after I returned.

Although Ryanair assured me that it would be fine I ended up renewing it because I figured a week was just too close to the bone - if Id had an accident or been delayed for any reason, I just wasnt comfortable with only having a weeks leeway on it.

With 20 days I probably would have gone ahead.

murpho999

MrWalsh wrote: »

I was in the same situation last year, Lanzarote and Ryanair too!

I was actually closer to expiry than you, I think it was set to expire a week after I returned.

Although Ryanair assured me that it would be fine I ended up renewing it because I figured a week was just too close to the bone - if Id had an accident or been delayed for any reason, I just wasnt comfortable with only having a weeks leeway on it.

With 20 days I probably would have gone ahead.

I don't get why people are relying on airlines for this info. Your passport requirements for an airline are a valid passport for ID purposes.
However the validity of your passport is an issue for each country's immigration services and that's where people should be checking. Many countries have a requirement for a passport that still has 6 months validity. Spain does not have this but many do.

MrWalsh

murpho999 wrote: »

I don't get why people are relying on airlines for this info. Your passport requirements for an airline are a valid passport for ID purposes.
However the validity of your passport is an issue for each country's immigration services and that's where people should be checking. Many countries have a requirement for a passport that still has 6 months validity. Spain does not have this but many do.

Im sure Ryanair would have advised if same was true of Spain.

murpho999

MrWalsh wrote: »

Im sure Ryanair would have advised if same was true of Spain.

No as they are an airline not a travel advice centre or visa processing.

28064212

murpho999 wrote: »

I don't get why people are relying on airlines for this info

Because an airline can impose their own restrictions above a country's requirements. A driving licence is valid ID for entry into the UK from Ireland, but Ryanair won't accept it for flights to the UK*

*certainly that used to be true, not sure if it still is

JeffKenna

Why not renew now and save yourself the worry? You'll have it back before you fly and you're just saving yourself a job you'll be doing when you come back in any case?

murpho999

28064212 wrote: »

Because an airline can impose their own restrictions above a country's requirements. A driving licence is valid ID for entry into the UK from Ireland, but Ryanair won't accept it for flights to the UK*

*certainly that used to be true, not sure if it still is

My point is that an airline will have no extra requirements beyond a valid passport whilst a country's immigration may well have ranging from six month validity to pre booked electronics visas as required in Turkey.

It really is up to everyone to check this for themselves and not rely on airlines for the info.

falan

murpho999 wrote:

10 seconds of googling found below info from Dept of Foreign Affairs.


So you should be ok. The fact that it's Ryanair makes no difference as it's the Spanish immigration that have the passport requirements.


If you are really worried about it you still have time to arrange a new passport via Passport Express.

Thanks very much for the reply. I did Google late last night when i posted this but I couldn't find anything up to date. I was a bit worried because its Ryanair and they are really strict with rules. A little more googling this morning gave me my answer. It seems I'm ok to travel as long as my passport is in date.

murpho999

falan wrote: »

Thanks very much for the reply. I did Google late last night when i posted this but I couldn't find anything up to date. I was a bit worried because its Ryanair and they are really strict with rules. A little more googling this morning gave me my answer. It seems I'm ok to travel as long as my passport is in date.

No problem, also check via 'manage your booking' if you have to provide 'advance passenger information' for Spanish immigration.

falan

murpho999 wrote:

My point is that an airline will have no extra requirements beyond a valid passport whilst a country's immigration may well have ranging from six month validity to pre booked electronics visas as required in Turkey.


It really is up to everyone to check this for themselves and not rely on airlines for the info.

Around 16 years ago I had to go to England for a funeral. I did not own a passport at that time and you could travel freely between the two countries without one. (I often did it on aer lingus or the ferry).
I booked with Ryanair and even rang them to check if it was ok to travel without a passport and they said yes, no problem, just bring photo Id.
So I went with my mother to catch a flight from Dublin to Manchester and they would not let me on. Apparently they changed the rules a few weeks before and a passport was a travel requirement for everybody.
My mother went away on the flight and I ended up sleeping in Dublin airport paying another IR 300 for a flight with aer lingus. They let me on no problem with my provisional licence. I was only about 20 back then. That was an expensive few days.
That's why I wanted to know has anyone been in this situation with Ryanair recently.

spurious

You might be OK, but to be honest there's time to renew and be sure.

dilallio

murpho999 wrote: »

I don't get why people are relying on airlines for this info. Your passport requirements for an airline are a valid passport for ID purposes.
However the validity of your passport is an issue for each country's immigration services and that's where people should be checking. Many countries have a requirement for a passport that still has 6 months validity. Spain does not have this but many do.

While you are completely correct, most airlines will also check because if a passenger arrives in a country without an up-to-date passport and visa (if required), the airline bears the responsibility of returning that traveller to their departure point.