Brits urged to be aware of crucial passport rule or risk having holiday ruined

Millions of Britons jet off on every year, but nothing is as terrifying as being ill prepared for such a break, potentially leading to no holiday at all. Travel experts are warning British holidaymakers to be aware of all rules - especially concerning - and mandates each country has when visiting. According to new research, one in four travellers admitted to being unaware of at least one passport rule for a country they plan to visit.

Being uninformed on such matters could even cost you your holiday, experts warn. comparison site , with the help of ONS survey data, conducted a travel study - and the results were startling. The UK comparison site are now strongly urging holidaymakers to watch out for some little-known mistakes as their recent study found a whopping 6.9 million holidaymakers could be affected by simply not being aware of country regulations when visiting.

Knowing a country's ensures for a more enjoyable and smoother experience, avoiding being held up by securing, avoiding any potential legal problems, financial issues or cultural misunderstandings, or worse, completely derailed plans altogether.

When it comes to Brits heading to countries with their various rules imposed, a total of 24% admitted to not knowing at all anything related to this prior to arriving, with the number one knowledge gap going to passport rules.

Travelling abroad means having a passport that meets certain validity requirements for entry into different countries, with holidaymakers generally needing a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond an intended return date.

These rules are enforced at the airport, with some countries having stricter requirements than others, highlighting how crucial it is to check the specific entry requirements for your destination before travel.

This lack of passport knowledge was evident in the study which found that only half of recent visitors to Europe knew that a passport must be issued less than 10 years prior to departure.

The 10-year rule for British passport holders means holidaymakers must show their passport has been issued less than 10 years before the day they enter the European Union.

Whereas the 3-month British passport rule means showing travel documents that must be valid for at least three months after the day travellers plan to leave the European Union, with the study finding only a third of travellers knew this.

Consequently, a staggering 13.9 million travellers could have made one of these major mistakes on their trip.

Insurance policies when travelling also came up in the survey, with two in five UK adults admitting to knowing they wouldn't be covered by their insurance policy if they made one of these common passport errors.

Rhys Jones, travel insurance expert at Go.Compare, said: "Unfortunately, you likely won't be covered under your travel insurance for any costs incurred from passport problems preventing your departure.

"That's why it's so important to know the rules for any destination you plan to visit and to check your passport well before you travel."

He continued: "You can check passport validity requirements for different countries on the UK government's foreign travel advice page.

"If you're not sure if your passport will be in date, it's better to be on the safe side and renew it before you attempt to travel."