A COUPLE due to travel to Greece were denied boarding over a simple passport mistake and lost out on £500.

And now the couple is warning other travellers about the common mistake.

A United Kingdom biometric passport on a road map.A couple has been caught out by passport rules and is now warning other travellers Credit: Getty

Celia Jenkins, 78, and her husband Rees, 82, were meant to fly from Bristol Airport to Kefalonia, , for a six-month stay at their house on a Greek island, but were unable to board their flight.

They were caught out by a rule that means holders are now seen as ‘third-country nationals’ by the EU, meaning they must follow strict entry rules where their passport is less than 10 years old, regardless of when their document expires.

staff told the couple that their were 10 years and three days old, meaning their passports were past the limit.

According to The Independent, Celia said: “We were escorted out through border security because technically we had no passports suddenly. We felt like criminals.”

She explained that while the couple missed the fact their passports were no longer valid, they feel like the Government and have not made the rules clear.

She added: “We weren’t informed clearly enough by anybody at any time.

“We didn’t get it because we saw the expiry date rather than the date of issue as being a problem.”

The couple had paid for an as well as the flights, meaning they spent and lost around £500.

Collage of travel items including a plane, sunscreen, passport, suitcase, and plane tickets, advertising The Sun's travel Instagram account. Two United Kingdom biometric passports on a road map.To enter the EU, your passport must not be older than 10-years-old Credit: Getty

The couple has since applied to renew their passports but believe they will no longer be able to meet up with their family in

The 10-year passport rule was actually introduced for UK citizens back in 2021, however many people still get caught out by it.

UK passports must not be issued more than 10 years before the date of entry into the EU and there must be at least three months remaining on the intended day of departure from the EU.

At least three months remaining on the intended day of departure from the EU.

This means that if you returned from a holiday today and have exactly three months left on your passport, but want to travel again next month – you would need to get a new passport.

Getting a new UK passport usually takes around three weeks through the

However, the Government advises that Brits apply at least 10 weeks before travelling, especially during busy periods.