Foreign Office travel advice: UK holidaymakers issued passport warning for popular holiday destination Italy ahead of summer holidays

The Foreign Office has issued a new travel warning for UK holidaymakers who are travelling to popular holiday destination Italy as passport guidance has changed. The government has changed its guidance for holidaymakers who lose their passport or have their documents stolen during their stay in Italy.

It says: “If your passport is lost or stolen, you must renew your passport or apply for an emergency travel document. You cannot use a police report to leave Italy.”

Summer has officially arrived and UK holidaymakers will be preparing to jet off for a well deserved break. Italy is one of the most popular destinations in Europe with thousands of people from the UK travelling to the country each year.

The Foreign Office has changed its guidance for UK holidaymakers who lose their passport or have their documents stolen during their stay in Italy. It said: "Information that if your passport is lost or stolen, you cannot use a police report to leave Italy."

The advice added: "If your passport is lost or stolen, you must renew your passport or apply for an emergency travel document. You cannot use a police report to leave Italy."

An emergency travel document lets you travel from abroad if you need to travel urgently and cannot use your UK passport. It is usually only valid for one single or return journey.

You can travel through a maximum of five countries by using this travel document. You can apply for an emergency travel document if all the following apply:

• you’re a British national
• you’re outside the UK
• you need to travel within 6 weeks
• your UK passport has been lost, stolen, damaged, is full, has recently expired or is with HM Passport Office or a foreign embassy
• you cannot renew or replace your UK passport from abroad before you travel
• you have had a valid UK passport in the last 10 years

If you have never held a UK passport, or not held one in the last 10 years, you cannot get emergency travel documents for activities such as holidays, weddings, family events and job interviews. You’ll have to explain and provide evidence to show why your journey is urgent and essential.

You must renew your passport before you can travel if either your passport has expired or you do not have enough time left on it. If your passport is burgundy or has ‘European Union’ on the cover, the Foreign Office says you can still use it as long as it’s valid for travel.