Many holidaymakers will be applying for new passports at the moment, ahead of what experts are predicting to be a very busy summer for international travel. Those looking to jet off abroad will need to remember the crucial travel document, and make sure it meets certain post-Brexit requirements. Now, UK passport holders going to the EU must check that their passport’s “date of issue” is no more than 10 years before the date they enter . Additionally, their “expiry date” needs to be at least three months beyond the day they are due to leave the Schengen zone, which is made up of 29 countries, including Spain, Greece, France, and Italy. His Majesty’s (HM) Passport Office advises that under normal circumstances, “you’ll usually get your passport within three weeks” when applying for a new or replacement one . To offer travellers a clear expectation of arrival times, the independent platform “UK Passport Waiting Time” has been set up. This independent group, not affiliated with HM Passport Office, collects data from the public on the timeframe between applying for and actually receiving their new passports. Recent statistics suggest the current wait is around 19 days for a first adult passport and approximately 13 days for renewals or replacements. The average processing time for a first child passport is 16 days, and for a replacement, it’s 15 days, as per the website. One traveller said they applied for their first adult passport via the Corby passport office. They wrote on UK Passport Waiting Time that they submitted their application on Wednesday, May 21, and were subsequently asked to have someone confirm their identity. After submitting the required identity confirmation later that day, their application was approved on Friday, June 6, with the new passport printed by Monday, June 9, resulting in a total wait of 19 days. However, HM Passport Office notes that times can vary, advising: “It may take longer than three weeks if we need more information, or we need to interview you. We’ll tell you this within three weeks. There are different turnaround times if you’re applying from another country.” For those requiring urgent passports, a one-day Premium Service is available, albeit at a higher cost, with an adult passport priced at 拢222 and a child’s at 拢189.