Many people across Ireland will be preparing to spend their Easter break abroad or thinking about a summer holiday. But before booking flights and packing your bags, there's one crucial step you might be overlooking - and it could make or break your entire trip.

In a major warning to all travellers, the Irish Passport Office has urged holidaymakers to double-check their passports well in advance of their travels, as failing to do so could result in being turned away at the airport.

While entry requirements vary by country, and can include anything from customs declarations to booked return flights, some destinations have very specific rules about passport validity. A common misconception is that as long as your passport is valid, you're good to go - but that's not always the case.

Certain countries, especially outside the European Union, require that your passport be valid for at least six months beyond either your planned entry date or departure date. So, the expiry date on your passport might not be the one you need to pay attention to. Instead, subtract an additional six months to make sure you meet the requirements.

Speaking on Today with Claire Byrne on RTE Radio One recently, Director of the Irish Passport Service Una Fannon emphasised how easy it is to overlook this essential detail.

She said: "For anyone who is planning a holiday this year, the message is just check your passport. It depends on where your travelling to. Many countries outside of the EU do require six months' validity on the passport. So if you have any doubt about it, I would say go ahead and renew that passport. We will take it within a year of its expiry date and renew it."

The six-month validity rule is common for destinations outside the EU, while some countries have their own version of this rule, requiring just three months of validity instead.

For example, Thai immigration authorities have a strict policy on passport validity, requiring Irish passports to have at least six months of validity to enter the country. Other destinations with similar rules include the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia and China.

Some countries are more lenient. Hong Kong, for example, only requires passports to be valid for one month after your departure date.

Before you leave, make sure you're aware of the passport rules for your destination by visiting the Department of Foreign Affairs website here for up-to-date travel advice.

Meanwhile, Una also urged citizens to apply for renewals or new passports well ahead of time, stressing that while the busiest time for passport applications is between January and April, the Irish Passport Office sees a surge in frantic calls during May, June and July as people get anxious about whether their passport will arrive on time.

She explained: "If you have a new baby or a child who has never had a passport before, make sure you apply in plenty of time before your travel date. Our busiest times are between January and April. However our phone lines are busiest during the months of May, June and July and that's because people are getting anxious about whether their passport is going to arrive in time."

Una confirmed the current turnaround times for an adult renewal is 10 working days, 15 working days for a child renewal, and 20 working days for a first time application. She continued: "I would say we are within our turnaround times for applications but it's important that you don't put that stress on yourself by leaving it up to the date of when you're travelling so make sure to apply in plenty of time.

"An adult online renewal is ten working days. A child online renewal is 15 working days. A first time application, whether it's a child or adult is 20 working days. And that's all through the passport online channel.

"Then our paper service is eight weeks turnaround time for both first time applications and renewals. So certainly the online channel is the quickest and most efficient way to apply."

For those in urgent need of a passport, Una reassured listeners that the Irish Passport Office offers an expedited appointment system for both adults and children in Dublin and Cork. However, this service is only available for renewals - not first-time applications.

She added: "An important service that we have also is that if you are travelling imminently and you do realise that you need to renew your passport, we do have an urgent appointment system in Dublin and Cork for people that need to get passports urgently. That is for both children and adults but only for renewals."

A standard 10-year passport costs €75 for an adult and €20 for a child. A passport card costs €35 for an adult and can also be bought as a part of a bundle for €100.

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