Former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman has issued a passport warning after she was refused boarding on a Ryanair flight to Spain, despite having a year left on her passport according to the expiry date.
What happened at the gate
Oberman, 59, best known for playing Chrissie Watts on the BBC soap, took to X earlier this month to share her frustration. She wrote: "Just tried boarding a flight to Spain. My passport runs out June 2027. Was refused boarding because apparently it ran out in 2026 according to new European rules. Can anyone explain this to me? I’m now stuck."
She later added: "I had a whole year [on my passport] but they said it didn’t count. Ryanair people said that they get fined for people travelling with the extra year on their passport and they don’t want to pay the fine is that illegal."
Understanding the EU passport rules
The issue stems from post-Brexit EU entry requirements. If you renewed your UK passport early, the Passport Office previously added up to 9 months of unused validity from your old passport to the new one. However, the EU does not recognise these "bonus months."
For travel to the EU and Schengen Area, two conditions must be met on the day of entry: the passport must have been issued less than 10 years ago, and it must be valid for at least 3 months after your planned departure date. Because Oberman renewed early, her passport's issue date was more than 10 years before her travel date, even though the expiry date showed 2027.
Public reaction and advice
One user replied: "It doesn't matter what date is expiring, it’s only valid for 10 years from issue," to which Oberman responded: "I wasn’t aware of this. It doesn’t flag it up massively when you book the ticket." Another person noted: "Clock runs from issue date. Chances are you renewed yours early. The EU doesn’t recognise the 'bonus' months."
Ryanair has been contacted for comment but has not yet responded publicly. The airline is known to enforce these rules strictly, as carriers face fines for transporting passengers with invalid documents.
