Booking a holiday is exciting but it can get stressful if you don't have the correct travel documents.

You’ll probably be aware that passports have changed since the UK left the European Union (EU) but you might wonder if your old burgundy passport can still be used for travel.

As with anything concerning your passport, you must check it’s fine to use before you arrive at the airport.

Knowing that your travel documents are correct in advance of your trip can help keep the process smooth and allows you to relax and look forward to your holiday.

Can you still use a red passport in 2025?

UK passports are now a deep blue in colour and the newest ones are the King Charles III passports following his coronation but can the old deep red ones still be used?

If you’re going on holiday and are worried that your red/burgundy passport isn’t accepted anymore, there’s no need to worry.

Burgundy passports are still allowed to be used in 2025 if they remain valid for travel so you’ll need to check the expiry date and the rules regarding how much time you should have left on your passport to travel to your chosen destination.

If your passport still has ‘European Union’ on the cover, you can still use it but only if it’s valid for travel, according to the Government website.

You’ll probably find that when it’s time to renew your passport next, you’ll be given a blue one but you don’t need to renew your passport unless yours has expired or it doesn’t have enough time left on it for travel.

Passport photo rules

Recommended reading:

How to renew your passport

If your passport needs to be renewed, you can apply for a new one either by post or online.

Renewing passports online is cheaper than filling out paper forms and sending them off via the post.

To renew your passport, you’ll need to find your old passport and any passports you might have from another country.

If you have a passport from another country, you’ll need to send either photocopies of each page, including blank ones, or send the physical passport.