Can you still use a red passport for travelling in 2026?

The ’10-year rule’ is talked about a lot and you’ll need to make sure your passport adheres to the strict validity rules in place in the UK and at your destination.

While some holidaymakers may believe their passport is valid for a total of 10 years after buying it, it’s easy to get caught out if you don’t check the relevant travel requirements.

This article explains exactly when a red passport will still work in 2026, when it won’t, and the quick checks you should do now before you book.

Do I need travel insurance?

What is the 10-year passport rule?

The Post Office explains: “Passports issued after 2018 are valid for exactly 10 years.

“But if your passport was issued before September 2018, it might be valid for up to 10 years and nine months.

“This is because, before 2018, the passport office would add up to nine extra months from your old passport to your new one.

“This means some people have passports that haven’t officially expired and are still valid for travel worldwide.

“The exception is travel in Europe, where passports must be less than 10 years old.”

It warns Brits that their passports have to be “issued less than 10 years before your departure date” and “valid for at least three months” after the date you return” if you are travelling to Europe and Schengen destinations.

Sky News shared an example to make understanding this easier: “For example: Your passport was issued on 6 June 2016 and has an expiry date of 6 March 2027.

“You book a flight to Madrid on 7 July 2026, thinking it is well within the expiry date.

“But actually, your passport stopped being valid to enter an EU country on 6 June 2026.

“The only exception is Ireland.”

Before booking travel, make sure to check your passport’s expiry date and your destination’s validity requirements.

Can you still use a red passport in 2026?

UK passports are now a deep blue in colour and issued by His Majesty’s Passport Office following King Charles III’s coronation.

However, you might wonder if you can still use the older red ones.

If you’re going on holiday and are worried that your burgundy passport isn’t accepted anymore, there’s no need to worry.

Red passports are still allowed to be used in 2026 if they remain valid for travel, so you’ll need to check the expiry date and the rules regarding how much time you should have left on your passport to travel to your chosen destination.

What you need to apply for ETIAS

If your passport still has ‘European Union’ on the cover, you can still use it, but only if “it’s valid for travel”, according to the Government website.

When it’s time to renew your passport next, you’ll be given a blue one, but you don’t need to renew your passport unless yours has expired or it doesn’t have enough time left on it for travel.

You must also make sure your passport hasn’t been damaged for it to remain valid.

New Coat of Arms passport issued to Brits

From December 2025, British passports saw another change.

On X, His Majesty’s Passport Office explained: “British passports will start to feature His Majesty King Charles III’s Coat of Arms and new images of iconic UK landscapes.

“The new design includes world-leading security features – making our passports more secure than ever.”

Recommended reading:

How to renew your passport

If your passport needs to be renewed, you can apply for a new one either by post or online.

Renewing passports online is cheaper than filling out paper forms and sending them off via the post.

To renew your passport, you’ll need to find your old one and any passports you might have from another country.

If you have a passport from another country, you’ll need to send either photocopies of each page, including blank ones, or send the physical passport.