Eastenders star Tracy-Ann Oberman stranded at airport after falling foul of the EU's 10-year passport rule

Published: 15:08, 10 July 2026 | Updated: 15:27, 10 July 2026 Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman has been left stranded at the airport after falling victim to an EU passport rule.  On Thursday night, the Eastenders star was refused entry to board a Ryanair plane in Liverpool to Spain, where she had been hoping for a short getaway after filming a new Netflix series.  The 59-year-old was caught short by the EU's 10-year passport rule because - although her passport expires in June 2027 - it was ruled invalid as it had been issued over 10 years ago.  The star, best known for her roles as Chrissie Watts in Eastenders and Valerie Lewis in Friday Night Dinner, told the Daily Mail that she is 'gutted' and feels that travelling today 'is all "computer says no"'.  While she had been looking forward to the break ahead of a lengthy UK tour with her new play, Ms Oberman said she is now spending her time trying to find appointments with passport offices.  After Brexit, EU rules were introduced for UK passport holders which meant that, where previously British passport holders could travel with a passport that only needed to be valid for the duration of the stay, now there is a 10-year age restriction on all passports.  Even if passports have been renewed and have three months before their expiry date, if they were issued over a decade ago then Brits cannot travel to anywhere in the EU on them.  Ms Oberman said: 'I’d been looking forward to our family holiday all year. It’s been an incredibly busy time for me, both on stage and on screen.  Actress Tracy-Ann Oberman (pictured) was left stranded at the airport after her passport did not meet EU rules The actress shared her plight on X last night, advising others to check before travelling  'I’d just wrapped filming on Harlan Coben’s The Woods, up in Liverpool and was heading off to Spain with my family for a short break before starting rehearsals for Noel Coward’s Present Laughter, which is a huge role in a major production and a real passion project for me. 'Everything had gone perfectly. I went straight from the set to the airport, ready to switch off and spend some time with my family.  'Then, just as I was about to board the plane, I was told I couldn’t travel. Although my passport doesn’t expire until March 2027, it was issued in 2016, which meant it no longer met the entry requirements. I had absolutely no idea, and I wasn’t allowed on the flight.' The actress added: 'I am gutted!!! The next available day to get a passport is on Tuesday.  'It’s a crazy system - in the olden days you used to be able to go to Petite France and get an emergency passport. Now it is all ‘computer says no'.' Ms Oberman warned others to check their passports before travelling, posting on social media that 'it doesn't flag it up massively when you book the ticket'.  Benjamin Parker, Daily Mail acting head of travel, said:  'While I don’t know the finer points of Ms Oberman’s situation, it sounds like she’s fallen foul of post-Brexit passport rules that affect entry to the Schengen Area (made up of most EU nations plus Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and some smaller states). 'Previously, British passports were valid up to and including their expiry date for travel within the EU. Now, however, the rules state that passports must have been issued within the previous 10 years on the day you enter the EU. 'Until September 2018, a limited amount of outstanding time left on a passport was transferred to a new passport when renewing, meaning that a UK passport could be valid for 10 years and nine months, tipping British passport holders outside of the post-Brexit validity period. 'Additionally, for European travel your passport must be valid until the end of your stay plus an additional three months – though these rules operate independently of one another.' She wrote on X: 'Ryanair people said that they get fined for people travelling with the extra year on their passport and they don't want to pay the fine. Is that illegal? Help?'  The Daily Mail approached Ryanair for comment.   Other Brits have been caught out by the 10-year expiry rule, which came into force on January 1, 2021, at the end of the Brexit transition period.  Most recently, Bolaji Omisade, 35, was left stranded at an airport while her husband and sons flew off on holiday without her. The mum arrived at London Gatwick Airport excited for a family trip to Greece - when easyJet staff told her she would not be allowed to board. Her passport had not expired but staff informed her that it had been issued more than 10 years earlier, meaning it did not meet EU entry requirements. Last year, another mum was reduced to tears when she was forced to miss out on a girls' holiday - after falling foul of the 'small print' in EU passport rules. Chelsea Rodd was excited to fly to Milan for a three-night trip to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday on September 26, 2025 from Gatwick airport. But the 35-year-old was 'shocked' to be told by airport staff her passport wouldn't permit her to fly to the EU while checking in her luggage. Despite the mum-of-one's passport expiry date not being for another seven months, it was more than 10 years old. Before September 2018, the UK passport office added unused months from a person's old passport to their new one, meaning Chelsea's passport was valid for 10 years and nine months. While her passport was technically in date until April 2026, her early renewal meant that under the EU 10-year passport rule it did not permit travel to the EU any more as it was more than 10 years old.