Three passport rules all Brits NEED to know about

IT SEEMS rules on passports are everchanging with one new system currently being rolled out across the country.

Here is everything you need to know about travelling in the next few months.

New ‘contactless’ e-gates

New ‘contactless’ e-gates are being rolled out across 13 UK airports with the system set to be up to 25 per cent faster than current e-gates.

Once in place, passengers will have their photo taken at an e-gate which will be checked by the system, verified against immigration, travel and passport information.

Essentially it takes away the need to both have a picture taken and scan the passport.

Once the checks are complete, the e-gates will open automatically.

If there is a need for further checks, then passengers will need to place their passport on the reader – or they could be asked to see a Border Force officer.

Passengers are still being told to keep their passport with them at all times.

As of October 6, East Midlands Airport was the first to introduce the new system.

It will then be followed by Birmingham Airport and later, London Gatwick.

At the moment, the contactless system will be for British citizens returning to the UK, but eventually could be used by other nationalities.

The other airports which will have the new e-gate system are Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted.

Expiry date rules

Before heading on holiday, it’s essential to check the expiry date on your passport.

To be valid for travel, British passports must have been issued within the last 10 years.

While the rules have been in place for years, figures have shown up to 100,000 holidaymakers a year face being turned away at airports if their passport is more than a decade old.

So, before you travel, check the start date, not the expiry. For example, if a passport has July 2016 start date but a December 2026 expiry, it has technically expired.

If it has run out then you will need to renew your passport which could take up to three weeks.

Dual national rule

In February 2026, the rules for dual national citizens mean they are no longer able to use their foreign passport to enter the UK.

When entering the country now, they must use their British passport.

For those without, an alternative is a ‘certificate of entitlement’ which costs £589 and is attached to the passport.

Passengers trying to enter without either could face being banned from their flight and prevented from returning to the UK.

A Home Office spokesperson previously explained: “From February 25, 2026, all dual British citizens will need to present either a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement to avoid delays at the border.”

It is thought as many as 1.2million people across England and Wales currently hold more than one passport which is just over two per cent of the population.