In practice you cannot fly on an expired document: airlines ask for a passport or national ID card that is valid on the day of travel, and EU rules require the same, including on the way home. If your document has expired, travel on another valid one or renew it before you go. The exact rules depend on your destination, your nationality and the airline. Here is what to know, what to do if it expires mid-trip and where to check.
Can you fly with an expired passport or ID card?
As a general rule, no. For travel within the European Union and the Schengen area, your document must be valid on the day you travel, and the same applies when you re-enter an EU country from abroad. Then there is the airline check: Ryanair, for example, only accepts a valid passport or national identity card and makes each passenger responsible for carrying the ID that both the airline and the immigration authorities of the destination require.
Domestic flights are no exception. Even on a route with no passport control, the airline decides which documents it accepts at the gate. Our guide to ID at the airport explains what is usually required.
The most common situations
| Situation | What usually happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Already expired when you leave | The airline can refuse boarding | Use another valid document or renew first |
| Expires during the holiday | It is no longer valid for the return | Travel on a document that covers the whole trip |
| Trip outside the EU | Many countries want months of validity left | Check the official travel advice for your passport |
| You have another valid document | You can travel on it | Use the same one outbound and return |
| You only have a renewal receipt | It is not a passport or ID card | Ask the airline before booking |
If your document expires during the trip
This is the one that catches people out: you leave Dublin or Manchester with a valid document, but by the date of the return flight it has expired. Because it has to be valid on the day of travel, you may run into problems at the gate and at the border. Before booking, compare the expiry date with your return date and, if it is close, renew before you go.
If you are already abroad with an expired document, contact your country's embassy or consulate there: they will tell you what you need to get home. If it has been lost or stolen instead, an emergency travel document may be the answer, as explained in our guide on flying with a temporary travel document.
How to renew in time
- Check the expiry dates of the whole family's documents a few months before the holidays: children's passports run out sooner.
- Apply early through the official passport service of your country, especially before the summer peak.
- For non-EU trips, check the remaining validity and any visa your destination requires on GOV.UK, the Department of Foreign Affairs or the embassy of the country.
- Before you leave, read your airline's travel document rules again.
Refused boarding over an expired document: any compensation?
No. If the airline refuses boarding because your document has expired, Regulation EC 261/2004 treats that as reasonable grounds: no compensation is due and the ticket is usually lost. You can at least ask the airline to refund the unused airport taxes.
If your papers are in order and the flight arrives 3 hours or more late, is cancelled with less than 14 days' notice or you are bumped because of overbooking, you may be owed €250, €400 or €600 per passenger. Our flight delay compensation page has the details. With DelayFlight24 you can check for free in 2 minutes whether you are owed compensation: you pay nothing upfront and our fee is 25% + VAT only if you get compensated.
Frequently asked questions about flying with an expired document
Can I take a domestic flight with an expired ID?
It depends on the airline, but many want a valid document on domestic routes too: Ryanair, for example, only accepts a valid passport or national ID card.
Can I fly home on an expired passport?
Do not count on it: the document must be valid on the day of the return as well and the airline can refuse boarding. Contact your consulate before the flight.
Can I fly out on my ID card and back on my passport?
Some airlines do not allow it: Ryanair asks for the same document outbound and return, except when a document has been lost or stolen.
Is a renewal receipt enough to fly?
It is not a passport or ID card, and Ryanair, for example, only accepts those. Ask your airline before you travel.
If I am refused boarding over an expired document, will I be compensated?
No, refusal because of an invalid document does not give a right to compensation under Regulation EC 261/2004.
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Article updated on 22/10/2026 by the DelayFlight24 editorial team.