Help & Support

Some holiday destinations require the appropriate visa in order to travel there and it is the customer’s responsibility to arrange this. For further information on which countries require a visa, please visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website.

It is important that the details on passports match those on the travel documentation. For example, the names on the passports must match the names on the flight tickets to avoid any problems on the day of travel. Your passport must be valid for the duration of your holiday, and in many cases for up to 6 months after your expected date of return. For further information, the Passport Office can be contacted on 08705 210 410 (calls charged at national rate).

Changes to travel from January 1st 2021

You don’t need to get a new passport if you’re travelling to Europe from 1st January 2021, as long as your current passport has at least six months left on it and is less than 10 years old. If your passport doesn’t meet these requirements, you may not be able to travel.

It usually takes about four weeks to apply for a new passport but this can be longer in busy months, so if you’re planning a holiday soon and your passport has expired, it is best to apply for a new one as soon as possible or before you book. It is possible to obtain a passport quicker by using a premium or fast track service, but this comes at a greater cost and we wouldn’t advise relying on the service because there is a chance you won’t be able to go on holiday and once your holiday is confirmed, the tour operator’s cancellation charges would apply if you are unable to travel.

Updated April 2021

During the pandemic, Her Majesty’s Passport Office has seen a significant drop in the number of people applying for passports. In a normal year it processes around seven million passport applications, however in 2020 just over four million people applied for their passport.
While all applications will be processed as quickly as possible, people should now allow up to 10 weeks when applying for their British passport to help manage this demand.

People are encouraged to not leave their passport applications to the last minute. HMPO advise that Applying online is the cheapest and easiest way to obtain your passport.

People planning to visit a European destination once travel recommences are advised to check if they need to renew their passport before travelling to Europe.  https://www.gov.uk/check-a-passport-travel-europe