Travelling and going on holiday can be a smooth process if you've remembered everything you need to bring with you, and have done all the checks you have to do before going to the aiport.
But if you're caught out by something unexpected it can be devastating - as it could mean you're unable to travel. This happened to Dave Duke, a DJ who has a show on iRadio, as he was caught out by a passport expiry problem he had no idea about.
Now Dave, who also shares content on his @mrdaveduke TikTok page, is urging others not to make the same mistake.
In the caption of his recent video, he wrote: "Wouldn't be a bad idea to check your passport before you go on holiday."
He went on to reenact what happened when he got to the airport - as he had no idea some places won't let you travel there unless there's more than six months until the expiry date of your passport.
According to Dave, he was told airport staff couldn't accept his passport because it was "out of date".
Confused, Dave told them it wasn't out of date, as there was "a full five months left on the passport". He was then told that his passport expires "six months before the expiration date".
According to Dave, who didn't explain where he was travelling to, the staff then said something like: "Sir, it's wholly logical. The expiration date is there, minus six months. You just have to remember that every time."
Because of this, Dave wasn't able to fly. In response to the video, many admitted they had no idea about this. "Is this for real? My passport expires next month and I'm flying Friday," said one person.
"Is this really a thing," asked another. However, another reassured: "All depends of the rules of the country you are flying to. Countries outside Europe and UK ask for 6 months."
Your passport needs to be renewed before your passport has expired, and if you don't have enough time left on it, according to the government website.
However, how much time you need on your passport depends on the country you're visiting. For example, if you're travelling to the US, your passport must be valid for the length of your planned stay. But if you're travelling through another country on your way there, they might have other requirements.
If you're travelling to Thailand, your must have an expiry date at least six months after the date you arrive. For Spain, you must have a 'date of issue' less than 10 years before the date you arrive, if you renewed your passport before October 1, 2018. You must also have an expiry date at least three months after the day you plan to leave the Schengen area.
The best thing to do is to check the government website.
