Passport validity for a trip to Europe
Check the issue date as well as the expiry date, and use the rules for your passport and each country on your route.
Open your passport before booking. The expiry date is only one of the checks that can matter for a European holiday. Some entry rules also depend on when the passport was issued, your nationality and your residence status.
For a non-EU short visit to Schengen
The general rule is a passport issued within the previous ten years on the day of entry and valid for at least three months after your intended departure from the Schengen area. The EU's non-EU traveller guidance sets out the requirements and exceptions.
For example, suppose you arrive on 10 October and leave Schengen on 20 October. Check the issue date against your arrival and the expiry date against your October departure plus three months. Do not count from the flight home if you are leaving Schengen earlier to spend time elsewhere.
A passport that still looks valid may fail the issue-date requirement if extra validity was added when it was renewed. Read both dates rather than relying on the year printed on the cover of a travel checklist.
Different travellers can have different rules
EU citizens generally travel within the EU with a valid passport or national identity card. That is a different regime from the non-EU short-stay rule. The EU citizen guidance also explains children's documents. A driving licence is not a replacement travel document.
Non-EU family members of EU citizens may have specific rights depending on their circumstances. Check that guidance directly if it applies to your trip. Do not assume the rule for another family member's passport also covers yours.
Check the whole route
The UK, Ireland and other countries outside Schengen have their own requirements. Include overnight connections and any journey that requires you to pass border control. Check the airline's document instructions as well as the destination authority's rules.
Once you have renewed a passport, update bookings and any passport-linked permission that needs replacing. Leave time for that administration before travelling. It is easier to deal with a mismatch at home than at the check-in desk.
Passport validity and the length of stay are separate checks. Use our Schengen day-count guide if your itinerary includes several visits or a long stay.