Going on holiday soon? May half term is approaching and for those travelling this year, Confused.com has shared a warning you should be aware of.

Taking a trip abroad involves lots of planning and while checking you have your passport is important, checking its expiry date is crucial too.

Alvaro Iturmendi, a travel insurance expert at Confused.com, has shared a warning to everyone going abroad soon.

Travel expert issues passport expiry warning

Alvaro at Confused.com said: “If you’re heading on holiday this weekend to catch the start of summer, it’s absolutely crucial to check your passport’s validity well in advance.

“Failing to do this could mean you’re denied entry into the country, or may not even be allowed on the flight in the first place.

“Either way, it’s likely to lead to a lot of disruption to your holiday plans.”

Confused.com’s passport checker (linked above) can save you some time and maybe even some money if you check your passport’s expiry in plenty of time.

Can you get an emergency passport?

Emergency passports are available but not without extra payment compared to a usual passport renewal.

Alvaro added: “An emergency passport could cost up to £207 depending on its urgency. And with time taken off work last minute and travel costs to visit a passport office, this could become costly and time consuming.

Do I need travel insurance?

“This is especially true if you need to visit an office far from home. And those travelling with children could face longer delays. That’s because getting a fast-track appointment for a child’s passport can take as long as a week.”

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Will travel insurance cover emergency passport costs?

Alvaro explained: “And unfortunately, travel insurance will not cover the cost of last minute travel for an emergency passport, nor for any missed flights or holidays.

“You should always double-check your passport’s expiration date as soon as you start planning your trip, and leave yourself ample time to renew it if needed.”

Some countries will allow short periods of validity on passports but it's always worth checking before your trip in case you need to renew your passport to travel.