18 September 2018
When the UK leaves the EU in 2019, new rules will apply for all British passport holders, including those holding passports issued in Jersey, when travelling to the Schengen Area of Europe.
A Passport Renewal Calculator has been created to calculate the validity of British and Jersey passports. Anyone wishing to check whether their passport will be valid can access the calculator here.
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the following new rules will apply from 30 March 2019.
- an adult passport must have been issued within 10 years of the holder’s arrival date
- adult and child passports must be valid for 6 months from the date that the holder arrives in the Schengen area.
Islanders holding a passport that do not meet these criteria may be refused entry into any of the Schengen area countries.
Because of the new rules, those planning to visit the Schengen Area from 30 March 2019 should check the issue date of their passport, and renew it in good time if it will be older than 9 years and 6 months on the day of travel. Parents should also make sure that their child’s passport has at least 6 months validity left before the printed expiry date on the day of travel.
Those who do not hold a British or Jersey passport must contact the relative embassy to check its validity before travelling.
Senator Ian Gorst, the Minister for External Relations, said: “It is important that we are prepared for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit. We want to make sure that islanders are aware of how passport changes will affect them so that they can plan accordingly and renew their passports in plenty of time if needed. I would encourage all Islanders who have a concern about their validity of their passport for travel in Europe to use the calculator on our website.”
Schengen area
The Schengen area covers: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Anyone wishing to visit countries in the EU but not in the Schengen area (Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Cyprus) will need to check the entry requirements for that country before they travel.
Travel to Ireland is subject to separate Common Travel Area arrangements which will be maintained after the UK leaves the EU.
gov.je