passports

[ryansmadhous]

Me and my family are going on holiday to cyprus next week and we have 3 months left on our passports will it be ok?

thanks

[jenny52]

when I was going to spain I only had 3months onmy passport i was told the passport must have at least 6months left,3 months was not enough.Jenny

[Buenchico]

Whoever told Jenny52 that 6 months validity was required obviously didn't know anything about EU law!

Cyprus is within the EU. Assuming that you hold a UK passport, you have the right to enter (as well as live in and work in) any EU member state. The only requirement is that you should have a valid travel document (which, for UK citizens, means a passport) when entering the country. You can turn up at an immigration point at one minute to midnight on the very last day of the validity of your passport and still be admitted. The immigration authorities have no choice in the matter; they must comply with EU law.

Chris

[auntiebertie]

EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU Member State. This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable.

The passport has to be valid on day of entry. That is it.

[Whickerman]

and yet the airline would be within their rights not to allow you travel, with no compensation to you. Check the T&C of your airline

Get a new set and avoid the trouble - you need to renew soon anyway. That way you won't need to spend your holiday trying to convince some jobsworth to let you through the gate.

[Whickerman]

this site seems to bear out the need to have at least 3 months left or you may not get into cyprus:

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/country/71/pas sport_visa/Europe/Cyprus.html

[caz247]

i went to Greece in June this year and my passport
still had a month left, but i had to get a new one as
you need 3 months left on existing passport to travel
within the EU

[Dee Sa]

sorry but havent you left this a bit late to start asking questions ? hope its okay for u.

[dzug]

Just read that site of Whickerman's a bit more carefully.

It says, after the three months

EXCEPT:

(a) 1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.

Note: EU nationals are only required to produce evidence of their EU nationality and identity in order to be admitted to any EU Member State.

This evidence can take the form of a valid national passport or national identity card. Either is acceptable.

Possession of a return ticket, any length of validity on their document, sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit should not be imposed.

Therefore to travel in the EU you need a VALID passport. Not 6 months not 3 months, just valid.

I really don't understand why ther is so much misinformation on this subject.

[Whickerman]

ok then, try this one: http://travel.excite.co.uk/travel/guides/europ e/cyprus/PassportVisaRequirements

It states that a UK passport must have 6 months left on them.

I'm not saying I'm right or wrong. I'm just saying that I wouldn't want to be standing at the airport gate when i find out.

[Ethel]

Whickerman - on that link you posted it states:

Passports
Passport valid for at least three months beyond the period of intended stay required by all except:
(a) 1. nationals of EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland who hold a valid national identity card with the bearers photograph;

A passport is a valid id card

[dzug]

Whickerman - that's 6 months if applying for a visa - ie for a long stay.

[SeaJayPea]

A passport is not a National Identity Card. This is an entirely different document that citizens in many EC countries have to carry at all times. What that site is saying is that if your passport has less than three months to run, but you have a separate id card you'll be OK. We don't have National Identity Cards in the UK so I reckon you'd better get them renewed quick.

It will be the check-in at your departure airport that decides whether you go, not Immigration in Cyprus. The airlines get fined if anybody gets refused entry, so they are very careful who they let travel.

I renewed my passport earlier this year and it took just 4 days.

You can do it online here:

http://www.passport.gov.uk/passport_index.asp

Have a good holiday, cheers

[dzug]

Sorry a UK passport IS a national identity card - see several posts (not all by me..) above.

[rabbitygirl]

My son was hauled off a train in Budapest by immigration police because the plastic over his passport photo had failed. He spend a couple of days messing about with the local cops (they gave him sight seeing tours and he taught them English during endless games of ping pong) while a new one was issued. One of them said he didn't know what all the fuss was about - as he had his driving licence with him (provisional) he could have travelled around Europe on that.

Scarey. Anyone brave enough to try that and see how far they get?

[SeaJayPea]

Dzug, would you be prepared to take the risk? I don't know if kids are involved, but i can imagine the scene if there are and they get turned back.