Passenger denied boarding at airport over little-known ‘pointless’ rule | Travel News | Travel
Before you go on holiday, you need to ensure that you’ve packed everything. Bikinis, swim shorts, enough vests, shorts, and probably underwear for at least double the time you’re actually going on holiday for.
However, everyone can agree that the most important things you need are undoubtedly your travel documents and passport. Without these, you won’t be travelling to any holiday hotspot.
Liv, who posts on TikTok as @lliv.gk, shared that her suitcase was “on the flight to Turkey” she wasn’t allowed to board because of a little-known rule.
She issued a warning, penning: “WARNING: To anyone who is going to Turkey. Your passport has to be 150 days before your passport expires, otherwise they won’t let you on the plane”.
In the comments, some slammed the rules as “pointless,” asking why does a passport have an “expiration date” if it’s not going to be adhered to by countries. Another asked: “Genuine question, how did they not know this at check in when they give you your boarding pass and check your bag in?? They shouldn’t have even checked your bag in and let your bag onto the plane”.
Amanda Parker at Netflights explained: “Our passport needs at least three months of validity beyond your trip, and for some countries six months, for several reasons.
“If travellers were to face an emergency while abroad, such as falling ill or needing to extend their visit, then they could technically be in the country illegally if their passport expires during their stay. These extra months act as buffer periods to reduce the risk of overstaying.
“Buffer periods also reduce administrative and legal risks, as immigration authorities want to avoid dealing with travellers who become ‘undocumented’ mid-trip.
“A passport expiring during a visit can cause problems with healthcare access, hotel check-ins and internal travel or ID checks. Requiring extra validity upfront helps prevent these complications.
“It’s best practice for travellers to check the passport validity rules before they book a trip, and to consider renewing if they’re approaching the three or six-month mark, depending on their destination and their corresponding regulations”.
It’s not just expiration date that may lead you to be denied boarding. Damaged passports could see you turned away, and this includes water damage.
Amanda warned: “Water damage or torn pages on your passport can make your passport invalid for travel. As international security is tightening, your passport needs to be in good condition and meet very specific entry requirements. Always check before you fly.”
You also need to check whether your passport matches your current appearance. If you’ve changed weight significantly, or had cosmetic procedures which mean you no longer look like your passport photo, it can cause significant delays.
Amanda explained: “Passengers can experience delays or even be denied boarding when their current appearance does not match their passport photo. If your passport is several years old, and since then you have experienced significant weight change, cosmetic procedures, or dramatic hair changes, this may be flagged at border control.
“This won’t automatically invalidate your passport; however, it can lead to extra security checks when travelling. If your appearance has changed significantly, it is best practice to consider renewing your passport early with a more recent picture, even if it is still yet to expire”.
She also said: “Travellers should be aware that passport laws have recently changed after Brexit. The ‘ten-year rule’ states that a UK passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the date of your entry into that country, and it must also be valid for at least three months after your planned departure date.
“This issue date rule is separate from your passport’s expiry date, and many travellers aren’t aware of this, especially those with passports issued before September 2018, when the ability to add extra months from a previous passport was removed”.
