Uk Passport Validity Requirement For Visiting The Uk

[dantilley]

Tried searching on the UK Embassy website with no joy - does anyone know if there is a minimum time before expiry that a British passport has to have before visiting the UK? I seem to recall some countries say that you must have at least 6 months left before the expiry date (or similar) in order to be granted entry, but I've also heard that this practice is being abolished. Does it apply to the UK, does anyone know?

Also is there a rule like this in place for Thailand with a Thai passport?

Thanks in advance.

[TommoPhysicist]

Home is the only place in the world they have to let you in.

[dantilley]

So I take it that means there's no such restriction then?

[QED]

No minimum validity requirement in your home country anywhere in the world as far as I know, it wouldn't make sense.

[JohnC]

Best renew. It whilst there otherwise you may not be able to get back here plus renewal s half the price in UK

[Basil B]

You can enter the UK on an expired passport.

Your problem will be leaving, virtually every country in the would will not let you in with less than six months.

You can renew your passport 9 months before it expires and the unspent time will be added to the ten years of your next passport.

[dantilley]

Your problem will be leaving, virtually every country in the would will not let you in with less than six months.

It will be for my dual nationality son who (if I don't renew the passports) will be entering the UK on a UK passport with a couple of months before expiry, then entering Thailand when we return on his Thai passport, also a couple of months before expiry. But none of them fully expired.

Thinking it might be safer just to get them renewed, but if it definitely makes no difference then there's maybe no point.

[WilliaminBKK]

I know the expired passport rule I was just curious what the airline would say, after checking Timatic the airline check in tool to verify docs seems to be a none issue less than 6 months.

http://www.staralliance.com/en/services/visa-and-health/

[rawhod]

Your problem will be leaving, virtually every country in the would will not let you in with less than six months.

It will be for my dual nationality son who (if I don't renew the passports) will be entering the UK on a UK passport with a couple of months before expiry, then entering Thailand when we return on his Thai passport, also a couple of months before expiry. But none of them fully expired.

Thinking it might be safer just to get them renewed, but if it definitely makes no difference then there's maybe no point.

Entering the UK with a UK passport with 2 months validity will be no problem, similarly entering Thailand with a Thai passport with 2 months validity will be no problem.

However I would suggest renewing the UK passport whilst in the UK. Then renew the Thai passport when back in Thailand.

[tw25rw]

As I understand it, an expired passport is still a valid identity document. And when entering the UK on one, you only need to prove identity. As yours isn't even expired, there will be no issue at all.

[Eff1n2ret]

As I understand it, an expired passport is still a valid identity document. And when entering the UK on one, you only need to prove identity. As yours isn't even expired, there will be no issue at all.

Just to be a bit pedantic, it should be made clear that the above may be the case if you are a British citizen. If you're anything else, even an EEA citizen, an expired document won't do. Para 11 of the Immigration Rules says this:-

"11. A person must, on arrival in the United Kingdom or when seeking entry through the Channel Tunnel, produce on request by the Immigration Officer:

(i) a valid national passport or other document satisfactorily establishing his identity and nationality; and

(ii) such information as may be required to establish whether he requires leave to enter the United Kingdom and, if so, whether and on what terms leave to enter should be given."

Note the word "valid" - an expired document is not valid

However, Para 12 goes on to say:-

"12. A person claiming to be a British citizen must prove that he has the right of abode in the United Kingdom by producing either:

(i) a United Kingdom passport describing him as a British citizen or as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies having the right of abode in the United Kingdom; or

(ii) a certificate of entitlement duly issued by or on behalf of the Government of the United Kingdom certifying that he has the right of abode"

The word "valid" is omitted here, so by implication a Brit Cit can turn up in Blighty with his out-of date passport, and this seems to be confirmed by the Star Alliance link provided by a previous poster.

Section 3(9) of the Immigration Act 1971 as amended by the 2006 Act also includes the requirement of Para 12 of the Rules, but also includes " an ID card issued under the Identity Cards Act 2006 describing him as a British citizen," - I bet there aren't many of those around now, they must be something of a collector's item.

[electau]

Generally a visa will not be issued if there is less than six months validity on the passport. ie. less than six months to the expiry date. However if you are a British Citizen entering the UK on a British passport you will of course have no visa, so that does not apply. While in the UK you renew your British passport, this will have a date of issue and an expiry date, 10 years validity.

If you turn up with an expired British passport which has not been cancelled ( clipped) you may well be able to enter but you will not be able to leave without a new British passport.

[Basil B]

Generally a visa will not be issued if there is less than six months validity on the passport. ie. less than six months to the expiry date. However if you are a British Citizen entering the UK on a British passport you will of course have no visa, so that does not apply. While in the UK you renew your British passport, this will have a date of issue and an expiry date, 10 years validity.

If you turn up with an expired British passport which has not been cancelled ( clipped) you may well be able to enter but you will not be able to leave without a new British passport.

Not sure on the canceled/clipped passport thing, the issue is that if you are a UK citizen with a right of abode the UK then all you need is some form of identification...

"11. A person must, on arrival in the United Kingdom or when seeking entry through the Channel Tunnel, produce on request by the Immigration Officer:

(i) a valid national passport

or other document satisfactorily establishing his identity and nationality

; and

(ii) such information as may be required to establish whether he requires leave to enter the United Kingdom and, if so, whether and on what terms leave to enter should be given."

[Mario2008]

No minimum validity requirement in your home country anywhere in the world as far as I know, it wouldn't make sense.

A UK national can travel to the UK on an expired UK-passport.

Not all countries allow this, at least not according to the IATA database.

[dantilley]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I think we'll renew both just to be safe.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Thaivisa Connect App

[bkk_mike]

Always remember - it's often a lot cheaper and usually less time-consuming to renew a passport in the country where the passport is issued.

i.e. To renew a Thai passport in Thailand takes two days.

To renew a Thai passport at the embassy in London, according to their own website, takes at least two months.

To renew a UK passport while abroad costs almost twice as much as renewing a UK passport in the UK (extra cost split between the additional charges and the courier costs).

You can enter the UK on expired UK passport (so long as it says British Citizen on it), let alone on one that hasn't expired yet.

The same is true of Thailand. (my wife entered on an expired passport last week because she hadn't allowed two months for the passport application in the UK. The only impact was she had to use a direct flight...)

The only reason to get a new passport is if you're transitting through a country that will require the 6 month validity, but you can check that on the star alliance page:

http://www.staralliance.com/en/services/visa-and-health

Remember airlines are liable for the cost to return you if you aren't let in, so they have the rules down pat in their computer system. - where it says "valid on arrival" it simply means a passport that hasn't expired yet.

[ubonjoe]

Thai's can enter on an expired passport. Some have done it with one that had been expired for years.

[Basil B]

Thai's can enter on an expired passport. Some have done it with one that had been expired for years.

The UK or Thailand?

A passport is a document that you normally need to enter another country to which you are not nationalized, I presume there is an international treaty/convention that says any country should allow back into it any of its own nationals so long as they can prove their nationality, so even a expired passport would probably do this.

[ubonjoe]

Of course only Thailand.