Travelers, take note and mark your calendars.
Kate Flannery, who runs @kateflan on TikTok, explained how her family trip to Greece quickly ended before it even got began.
“When the trip to Greece you’ve been planning the entire yr suddenly can’t occur because your passports that expire in October aren’t legal to travel with,” the TikTok video with 3.9 million views read.
The seven-second clip, posted on Aug. 18, shows the somber relations sitting around a table with their luggage, pondering how they may have made such an enormous mistake.
“Now you’re just sitting here within the airport stranded with no automotive, attempting to get the a refund from the 4 hotels, seven ferries, two planes and ten nights of reservations,” the text continued.
Unfortunately, the Flannery family missed the passport memo by prioritizing their Greece trip itinerary as a substitute.
“Entry into Greece or any of the opposite European countries within the Schengen area for short-term tourism, a business trip, or in transit to a non-Schengen destination requires that the passport be valid for a minimum of three months beyond the intended date of departure,” the US Embassy explained.
The documentation mishap left many TikTokers confused over the hidden policy.
“What’s the purpose of the expiration date if it secretly expires before then?” questioned one person.
“It doesn’t make sense. Like, I realize it’s real, but why have that expiration in case you can’t travel six months before?” asked one other.
“This happened to me! I stayed up all night and went to passport office at 3 a.m. to get my passport same day and ended up making my flight the following day,” shared a watcher.
Meanwhile, some experienced travelers claim that passport expiration is common knowledge and a lesson well learned for the family.
“AWAYS look up entry requirements for international travel!” declared one person.
“To not know this before doing all of your planning is completely on you,” added a snarky woman. “What a superb lesson though.”
In a follow-up video, the TikToker confessed their family had made a detour to somewhere their passport can be accepted: Mexico.
She captioned the clip, #hatersgonnahate.
