Your passport may not work in 2025 – and it has nothing to do with expiration

If your New Year’s resolution was to travel more, don’t just check your passport’s expiration date.

Your ID may become useless when you fly due to new travel restrictions that will come into effect in 2025.

Starting in May, all travelers will be required to use a Real ID — or a convenient alternative, like a passport — in order to take domestic flights or enter some government buildings, according to Gothamist.

Implementation of the updated identification requirement has been delayed several times due to the pandemic, Good Morning America reported.

According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, a real New York ID is marked with a star or flag. A license without one of these symbols is not a real ID and therefore will not be a valid form of identification at airports.

When traveling across the pond, US passengers fly to the UK in or after January. 8 will be required to enroll in the Electronic Travel Authorization program in order to be verified before entering the country.

Anyone outside the UK and Ireland visiting for six months or less and for business or study will be required to apply through the ETA programme, which costs around $13 and is valid for two years.

“ETA’s worldwide expansion demonstrates our commitment to increase security through new technology and the introduction of a modern immigration system,” Seema Malhotra, the minister for Migration and Citizenship, said earlier in a statement.

Similarly, travelers will be required to apply for entry into Europe through the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), which will come into effect in May after multiple delays.

While it costs just over $7 to apply, it can take days to weeks to get a response, so plan accordingly.

The ETIAS application requires personal data such as your name, birthday, contact information, education level, your travel details and more. Travelers will also be required to have a valid travel document, such as a passport, which cannot expire in less than three months nor be more than a decade old, according to the official website.

Once approved, it is valid for up to three years or the expiry of the passport, whichever comes first.

Travelers may be denied boarding due to almost expired documents.

Some destinations have rules that do not authorize travel if a visitor’s passport expires in less than three or six months. Some even require a certain number of blank passport pages to allow passengers on board.

“Unfortunately, many travelers are unaware of the passport requirements and have to cancel plans or even arrive at the airport and be denied boarding,” travel advisor Sara Russell previously told Fox News.

“For a smooth travel experience, I recommend starting the renewal process at least one year before your passport expires to ensure you get your new book on time and can enjoy your vacation without any hiccups.