Driving to France: check passport issue and expiry dates
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Before you drive to France, check two dates on each traveller's passport: the issue date and the expiry date. A future expiry date does not show that the passport meets the issue-date rule, so check both.
Check the issue date
Your passport's date of issue must be less than 10 years before the date you arrive. A passport issued 10 years or more before arrival does not qualify, even if its expiry date is later (GOV.UK: France entry requirements).
Check the expiry date
Your passport's expiry date must be at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area (GOV.UK: France entry requirements).
If your trip continues into another Schengen country, count from the date you plan to leave the Schengen area, not from the date you leave France.
Work through an example
Suppose you arrive on 20 June 2027 with a passport issued on 19 June 2017. That passport was issued more than 10 years before arrival, so it fails the issue-date check. A later expiry date does not change that.
Suppose you plan to leave the Schengen area on 30 June 2027. The expiry date must then be at least 3 months later, so it must fall on or after 30 September 2027.
These examples show how the two checks work. They do not confirm anyone's eligibility to travel.
Renewed before October 2018
If you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, check its issue date closely. It might have a date of issue more than 10 years ago, which matters because the issue date must be less than 10 years before you arrive (GOV.UK: France entry requirements).
Passport dates and the 90-day limit
Passport validity is a separate check from the 90-day limit. You can visit the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Earlier visits to Schengen countries in the previous 180 days count towards that limit (GOV.UK: France entry requirements).
For how the count works, read the Schengen 90/180-day rule, or add your trips to the Schengen 90/180-day counter.
Check the whole family early
Write each passport's issue and expiry dates beside your planned arrival and departure dates. Check each traveller separately. For the driving documents you need alongside your passport, see the driving licence and IDP abroad guide.
Review when your dates change
If your plans change, check both passport dates again against your new planned departure from the Schengen area. The driving in Europe checklist lists the rest of your trip paperwork.
FAQs
Is a future expiry date enough?
No. The issue date must also be less than 10 years before you arrive (GOV.UK: France entry requirements).
Does the expiry rule count from the date I leave France?
The rule counts from the date you plan to leave the Schengen area. If you travel on to another Schengen country, that date may be later than the date you leave France (GOV.UK: France entry requirements).
Is passport validity the same as the 90-day limit?
No. Passport dates and the 90 days in any 180-day period are separate checks (GOV.UK: France entry requirements).
What if I renewed my passport before October 2018?
Check its issue date. A passport renewed before 1 October 2018 might have a date of issue more than 10 years ago, and the issue date must be less than 10 years before you arrive (GOV.UK: France entry requirements).
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