The unusual passport trick that every traveller should know about – or risk getting banned from flights
BRITS planning a holiday abroad may be left confused by the number of passport rules in place.
Along with expiry dates, there is another rule that Brits have to follow.
Lots of countries require at least one full blank page in a passport to be able to enter the country.
A blank page is one considered to be “free from stamps, clean and with no signs of ink staining.”
For example, Turkey and Italy require one full blank page, while South Iceland, Portugal and Indonesia require two blank pages.
While some travellers may think they have more than enough room in their passports, Brits heading to Europe will currently be given an entry and exit stamp.
And staff at the border don’t always stamp on the same page – so you could find your passport filling up fast.
Traveller Morgan Linson, who wrote the book “The Ultimate Experience: Fear Will No Longer Stop Us From Exploring The World,” said her visa was once denied because she had “multiple pages that had one and two stamps, which was a total waste of space.”
However, there is a sneaky trick to be able to protect your passport from having a stamp on every page.
Travellers can put a post-it note on one of the pages, with a note asking for it to be left blank.
These are not permanent, so won’t damage the passport but will alert airport staff to use another page instead.
This may not always work, however, as it relies on the staff to decide whether or not to stamp there.
Passport expert Sam Charlton told Travel + Leisure: “While the sticky note method is clever, it’s not foolproof.
“Immigration officers are trained to follow specific protocols, and a sticky note might not always sway their decision.
“It’s a useful tactic but should not be solely relied upon.”
Anyone worried about running out of room in their passport can apply for a larger document.
A standard 34-page passport costs £82.50 for adults, although a 50-age passport costs £93.50.
Make sure you apply online or your bigger passport could cost a whopping £104.
And blank pages aren’t the only way Brits are being turned away from their flights.
The expiry date is catching out a lot of holidaymakers, due to the confusing rule.
The rule, in place since the UK left the EU, no longer allows Brits to have passports older than 10 years.
Some older passports could roll up to 10 months from their previous documents, meaning they are valid for 10 years and 10 months.
With those months no longer valid, this means your expiry date may not be accurate, with countries often requiring at least three months left on it to enter.
Last year, a woman was forced to miss her £2,600 dream holiday after not realising her passport had expired.
And earlier this year, a couple were left £3,000 out of pocket for the same reason.