Travelling without a valid passport.

[gordyagusta]

I'm considering a trip to Malta, but when rummaging around on the web I have found the following quote on numerous websites and this has sparked a discussion in the office,
"Maltese laws for immigration generally follow EU legislation. Therefore EU nationals require neither a visa nor a passport (an ID card or an expired passport are enough) to enter the country."
Is this correct, you can actually enter Malta without a valid Passport and can you leave the UK without a valid passport?

[ummmm]

You can't leave the UK without a valid passport.

[dzug]

It may well be that an EU citizen can enter Malta on an expired passport - although there is no verification of this on the Maltese Embassy website, which only mentions valid documents. Spain at one time definitely had a similar rule

However, leaving the UK will be the problem. Whilst there is currently no immigration check, your airline will certainly check your passport. The checkin clerks will probably not be aware of the concession even if it exists, so you will miss your flight while they check it out - if they are prepared/able to do so.

[VHG]

With the security situations at airports I think it highly unlikely that anyone would be able to get on a plane without showing a valid passport.

Some airlines do say a valid ID card will do, but I think it is not worth risking it.

Better to have a valid passport and then you can be sure no airline can find an excuse to turn you away.

[gordyagusta]

Yeah, thanks all, More or less what we had concluded, it may be the case that you don't need a valid passport to move within Countries of the EU, but would you really worth risking it.......

[Buenchico]

Although it won't help you if you're travelling from the UK, I'll point out that the information in your link is actually out of date.

On 1st December 2007 Malta became a full signatory to the Schengen treaty. That means that there will be no immigration checks at all on any travellers arriving from any other Schengen country. Anyone arriving on a flight from France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, or from many other countries, can simply walk straight in, without producing a passport, ID card or any other form of identification. That applies equally to Americans, Australians, Argentinians and Armenians as it does to EU citizens.

Nearly all EU countries are (or are about to become) full signatories to the Schengen Agreement, which abolishes passport controls across Europe. The United Kingdom is the only EU country which refuses to sign up. (Ireland wants to sign but can't because of the existing 'open border' arrangement with Northern Ireland).

If the UK signed up to the full provisions of the Schengen Agreement you could forget about needing a passport to travel within Europe. You'd only have to produce the same type of ID (for security purposes) that airlines currently accept for travel within the UK (or between the UK and Ireland). All airlines (except Ryanair) will accept a photographic driving licence as ID for such types of travel. Some (such as easyJet) will also accept bus passes, etc.

Chris

[blackietwo]

Malta may let you in!!!! But you can't leave the UK without a valid passport.

[gordyagusta]

Thanks to all for replying.

I think Chris' answer sums it up and explains it in a way that makes sense....

Thanks .