The warning applies to anyone whose passport is in its last year and who hopes to travel to the EU after Brexit
BRITS should renew their passports as soon as possible if they're in their last year - or risk being unable to travel to Europe, the Government said today.
If we end up quitting the EU without a deal, more than 2million British passports are likely to be useless on the continent.
Ministers today published documents confirming that in a No Deal scenario, British people will need to have a passport which is valid for at least six months if they want to visit the EU.
And they urged anyone who might be affected to act quickly - because there is likely to be a massive rush of Brits trying to renew their documents.
The revelation came in a dossier of 28 contingency notices designed to show the Government is prepared for the potential collapse of talks with Brussels.
The documents show:
The documents warn that without a deal ensuring British citizens have access to the continent, UK travellers will be treated the same way as those from outside the EU.
That means that they won't be able to enter the borderless Schengen zone unless their passport is valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
Anyone whose passport expires within the next year is therefore at risk of being shut out from the EU from March next year and should apply for new documents, the Government warned.
They said: "If you are planning travel after 29 March 2019, and your passport will be affected by the new validity rules, we recommend you consider renewing your passport soon to avoid any delay, as the passport issuing service can get busy, especially in the spring."
The warning is estimated to affect at least 2million Brits - because around 80 per cent of the population is believed to hold a passport, and of those roughly 5 per cent will be in their last six months.
There could also be problems for British tourists hoping to drive to the continent or rent a car on holiday.
Under No Deal, UK driving licences would no longer be valid in the EU so holidaymakers would need to buy an international driving permit, available at the Post Office for £5.50.
The Government said: "You may be turned away at the border or face other enforcement action, for example fines, if you don’t have the correct IDP."
Ministers have already acted to head off the threat of phone firms hiking up roaming charges once we are no longer bound by the EU rules which outlaw them.
They have agreed with O2, Vodafone, EE and Three that none of the largest companies will introduce new fees - though customers of smaller firms may still face a price rise.
One unexpected effect of No Deal could be that Britain gets less warning of space debris falling to Earth thanks to the end of an information-sharing deal with Europe.
With no agreement in place, “the UK will not be eligible to participate in the EU Space Surveillance and Tracking programme”. But the UK will continue to receive space, surveillance and tracking data from America.
Companies which export so-called "non-harmonised goods" - items such as furniture, bicycles and cooking tools which are governed by national rules rather than EU-wide regulations - may need new licences to continue selling them into Europe under a No Deal scenario.
And shipping firms could be hit by additional red tape, the documents added.
But ministers have also taken actions to minimise the disruption of a No Deal Brexit - such as saying we will continue to observe EU rules on the environment no matter what the outcome of Brexit talks.
The right to travel freely between Britain and Ireland will continue even if there is no deal, under the rule of the Common Travel Area.
And Irish citizens will “continue to enjoy the reciprocal rights” to live in the UK, as well as “work, study and vote, [and get] access to social welfare benefits and health services”.
The Home Office says this will be the same for British citizens in Ireland.
Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer rubbished today's announcements, saying: “The only reason the Government is talking about No Deal is because the Tory civil war on Europe prevents the Prime Minister from negotiating a good deal."
And pro-EU MP David Lammy, a backer of the Best for Britain campaign, said: "As these papers show, a No Deal Brexit will not only kneecap the British economy, disproportionately hurting the poorest. It will also make life more difficult in innumerable ways - affecting driving licences, passports and phone bills.
"Today is just a cynical ploy by the Government to make whatever pathetic little deal they bring back from Brussels look less bad in comparison."
Emmanuel Macron's Europe minister warned that Eurostar trains and planes from Britain will be turned away from France in the event of a No Deal Brexit.
In comments that came just an hour after the Government papers were published, Nathalie Loiseau insisted it was not Le Project Fear to warn of travel chaos that but it “would happen – among other examples”.
Asked about the issue following a speech in London, she said: "This is the reason we need to prepare for a No Deal because we cannot wake up and say to our citizens and businesses we thought it would never happen so we are not ready."
Cabinet ministers met this morning to discuss the No Deal contingency plans which are designed to ensure Britain is ready for the possible collapse of talks with Brussels.
Speaking before the plans were published, Dominic Raab warned rebel MPs they will have no choice but to back Theresa May - or risk Brexit chaos.
He said Brexit rebels would have to "be responsible" and rubbished the idea they can force through an alternative plan by next March.
Tory MPs from all sides of the Brexit divide have called for the PM to chuck her proposals set out at Chequers.
But the Brexit Secretary said it would be impossible to replace Mrs May's blueprint with a different type of trade deal.
He told the BBC's Today programme: "When push comes to shove it will be a binary choice between the deal we bring back and No Deal, and I think that will focus minds.
"Colleagues will look at the choices they've got and they've got to be responsible for that."
During the interview he also hit out at firms such as John Lewis which blame their economic troubles on Brexit.
Mr Raab said: "I think there will be the temptation from some businesses that aren't doing so well to blame Brexit and I think that's a mistake."
He confirmed that we won't pay a £39billion divorce bill if we don't manage to secure a withdrawal agreement.
Mr Raab said: "It's not a threat, it's statement of fact as part of our No Deal planning.
"We would be mindful of our strict legal obligations, but the amount and the phased way it is set out in the withdrawal agreement would fall away because there would be no deal."
DOZENS of Brexit-backing Tory MPs are furious with Theresa May's Chequers plan, which would see Britain following EU rules for goods even after we've left.
They have launched a huge campaign to persuade the PM to drop her proposals and replace them with a looser free-trade deal.
Some hardliners are even trying to ditch Mrs May altogether - convinced that only a Brexit true believer can truly carry out the will of the people.
But both efforts are massively complicated by the fact that we have just six months before Britain officially leaves the EU.
Senior Brexiteers are in despair about the leadership chatter, warning that if the PM was forced out Remainers would seize the opportunity to delay or even overturn Brexit.
And as Dominic Raab points out today, the short timeline makes it difficult for any plan other than Mrs May's to take shape.
If Britain and the EU do thrash out a withdrawal deal later this year, it will almost certainly be based on the PM's Chequers deal.
MPs will have a straight choice when it comes to a Commons vote - support the deal as it stands, or back No Deal.
Ministers are gambling that enough Tories will lose their nerve and vote with the Government to outnumber the rebels who team up with Jeremy Corbyn to try and defeat it.
