EastEnders star Tracy-Ann Oberman claims she was refused boarding on a Ryanair flight to Spain, as she was told her passport was not valid under new European rules
The actress shared the passport warning online
Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman has issued a passport warning to fellow travellers after claiming she was turned away from a Ryanair flight. The 59-year-old star, best known for her role as Chrissie Watts in EastEnders, said she had a year remaining on her passport. However, due to new European regulations, she was denied boarding.
Taking to X earlier this month, she wrote: “Just tried boarding a flight to Spain. My passport runs out June 2027. Was refused boarding because apparently it ran out in 2026 according to new European rules. Can anyone explain this to me ?I’m now stuck.” She later added: “I had a whole year [on my passport] but they said it didn’t count.
“Ryanair people said that they get fined for people travelling with the extra year on their passport and they don’t want to pay the fine is that illegal.”
One person replied: “It doesn’t matter what date is expiring, it’s only valid for 10 years from issue,” as Tracy-Ann replied: “I wasn’t aware of this. It doesn’t flag it up massively when you book the ticket.”
While another wrote: “Clock runs from issue date. Chances are you renewed yours early. The EU doesn’t recognise the ‘bonus’ months.”
Ryanair has been approached for comment.
What are the new European passport rules?
If you renewed your burgundy UK passport early, the most crucial point to bear in mind is that your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day you enter an EU country, meaning any “extra months” added to your expiry date from your previous passport are completely invalid for EU travel.
The burgundy colour and the words ” European Union ” on the cover do not matter; the document remains entirely valid as long as it meets post-Brexit requirements.
However, because the UK Passport Office used to add up to 9 months of unused validity onto early renewals prior to September 2018, your passport’s expiry date can deceive you into thinking it is valid when it is not.
Mandatory EU entry criteria
To travel to the EU and the Schengen Area, your passport must pass two independent tests:
1. The 10-year issue date rule: The passport must have a ‘Date of Issue’ that is less than 10 years ago on the day you arrive in the EU.
2. The 3-month expiry rule: The passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the EU, based on its official expiry date.