ABTA urges Brits to check passports
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ABTA – The Travel Association is advising holidaymakers to check their passports now to ensure they have sufficient validity, ahead of the peak holiday season when up to 26 million UK holidaymakers are expected to head overseas.
Many countries outside the EU require six months’ validity on passports from the date of the return to the UK, so it is vital to take this into account when checking passport expiry dates.
Up to one in 10 passport holders needs to renew their passport each year, with the peak processing period being the run-up to the summer months. Members of the public do not have to wait for their passports to expire before renewing them, as up to nine months unused validity will be added onto their replacement passport.
Renewing early means that travellers can take advantage of the standard rate for passport renewal. The standard charge to renew an adult passport is £72.50, but this rises to £103 for the 1 week fast track service and £128 for the 1 Day Premium service.
ABTA CEO Mark Tanzer said: “Every year we see holidaymakers having to renew their passport in a rush, having realised just before they are due to travel that it is out of date or does not have enough validity for the country they are visiting. HM Passport Office does an excellent job each year, efficiently issuing millions of passports to UK citizens, but we would strongly advise that holidaymakers check their passports now and renew them at the earliest opportunity, in order to guarantee the lowest, standard rate.”
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