We spent a year planning our holiday to Greece – only to be left stranded after a mistake with our passports
A FAMILY were left heartbroken after they weren’t able to fly out to Greece for a holiday due to a mistake with their passports.
The TikTok user known as ‘KateFlan’ took to the social media site to explain exactly what happened.
In a short clip set to some suitably sad music, Kate and her family are seen sat round a table in an airport surrounded by their luggage.
Kate wrote in a caption: “When the trip to Greece you’ve been planning the whole year suddenly can’t happen because your passports that expire in October aren’t legal to travel with.”
She added: “Now you’re just sitting here in the airport stranded with no car, trying to get the money back from the four hotels, seven ferries, two planes and 10 nights of reservations.”
As a general rule, US nationals must have valid passports that are valid for at least six months beyond their proposed stay.
This also applies to Brits travelling to the US but is just three months if they are travelling to another European country.
Despite the unfortunate situation, the footage has gone viral and has now been viewed some 3.8million times, picking up nearly 214,000 likes and more than 2,400 comments.
While some commentators wondered why this rule wasn’t widely known many others said it just didn’t make sense.
One person asked: “What’s the point of the expiration date if it secretly expires before then?”
Another said: “It doesn’t make sense. Like, I know it’s real, but why have that expiration if you can’t travel six months before? Can’t they just change the expiration?”
A third wrote: “I still find this crazy. Especially if you are returning long before the expiration.”
Elsewhere, travellers are advised to be aware of this little known rule covering parents travelling with kids.
A man has been banned from entering country after making very easy passport mistake.
Meanwhile, a woman has revealed the embarrassing reason her passport nearly got her banned from her flight.