Martin Lewis warns Brits could be sent home from holiday over passport rule 'most people don't know'

Martin Lewis has issued a warning to anyone with a holiday coming up over a passport rule which he claims most people are unaware of.

Consumer rights expert Martin said the little-known rule has even seen some holidaymakers arriving at their destination only to be turned away at the border and sent back home.

The money saving expert appeared on ITV's This Morning to offer up some holiday advice to anyone planning on going away this summer. His first warning was for people not to assume their passport is valid for travel.

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Different countries have different rules when it comes to passport validity so it is always worth checking travel advice before you head off to your destination. Martin explained that generally people need to have at least six months left on their passport to enter a different country, or at least three months if it's an EU country.

While most people know this rule, Martin said that many don't realise they also need to check how long they have had their passport, as some countries will not let you in if you had had it for longer than 10 years.

Martin explained: "You also need to check that your passport is not over 10 years old on the date that you enter. You used to be able when you renewed your passport to take what you had left on your old passport and add it to your new one so you got more than 10 years. But now many countries will not let you in if your passport is older than 10 years."

UK travellers used to be able to carry up to nine months left on an old passport over to a new one, which means many people will have a passport that is valid for more than 10 years.

In a warning to holidaymakers Martin said: "This is not a small thing. People do their flight and then get sent back, they get sent back and you can't travel. I know someone it happened to in Dubai because of the 10 year rule."

Martin said it was important to check the specific rules for the country you are going to as they can vary between destination. He urged anyone with an upcoming holiday to check the expiry date now as it can take several days for a new passport to arrive.

He said: "The sooner you do it, the cheaper it is and the more chance you have of getting it sorted."

The majority of EU countries now have the 10 year rule in place and no longer accept British passports that were issued more than a decade before the date of travel. If you're going to an EU country, your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country and be valid for at least three months after the day you plan to leave.