Passport and visa requirements can be hard to keep track of when you’re trying to plan a simple trip abroad. However, one travel expert is urging people to keep an eye on their passport expiry date over everything else. This vital detail can mean the difference between an easy stay, and being denied entry onto your plane in a last-minute travesty. Mike Harvey, Managing Director at 1st Move International, explained this rule has “caught many travellers off guard”. Your passport must be valid for the entire length of your stay abroad. Mike warned it’s even more ”crucial to double-check” this detail if you’re going for a long-term stay or relocating. He pointed out that different countries have different requirements on this. While some might let you enjoy your short getaway with just a month left, others require your passport to be valid for a minimum of six months after your departure date. For most British passport holders travelling to the EU, they need at least three months validity. However, it must also be issued within the last 10 years. Passports generally expire within 10 years of being issued, but before September 2018 a different rule allowed extra months to be applied so some people may have 10 years and nine months before their passport expired. This means that if your passport was issued in December 2014, but is valid for another two months, it will be rejected at the airport. Passports issued after September 2018 are valid for exactly 10 years so they won’t face this issue. Mike warned people planning summer getaways to get out their passport now and double-check their issue and expiry date to avoid this dilemma. Currently, applications take around three weeks to process. You may be able to fast-track your passport renewal for an extra fee but this will still take a few days so there’s really no salvation if you only discover at the airport that your passport is expired. Having a valid passport for the entire duration of your holiday is also ideal as it means you won’t have to deal with the unnecessary stress of having your passport expire while you’re abroad. Mike warned: “If your passport expires while abroad, you’ll need an Emergency Travel Document (ETD). “However, ETDs are valid for a single or return journey only, allowing you to travel through a maximum of five countries. Some countries may require visas, and others, like Myanmar and Laos, won’t accept an ETD.”