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Millions of UK holidaymakers have been warned they need to renew their passports by Friday or face being barred from entering several European countries under a no-deal Brexit.

Up to 3.5 million people risk falling foul of rules for entering countries in the Schengen zone, such as France, Spain and Italy, according to consumer group Which?.

The rules state that visitors from non-EU countries must have at least six months left on their passport before its expiry date on the day of travel.

Until recently, UK citizens who renewed their passport before it expired could have up to nine months of the remaining validity added to their new travel document.

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The government has warned that this time carried over will not count towards the six-month requirement if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal.

This would mean some people with up to 15 months left on their passport could be denied entry to many popular destinations on the continent, as they would lose any time carried over from their previous passport.

Which? noted that Friday will be three weeks before the UK is due to leave the EU on 29 March, which is the time it takes for passports to arrive after a standard renewal application.

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Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel magazine, said: "Millions of people could find their holiday plans disrupted or, worse yet, find themselves stranded at the departure gate and prevented from travelling altogether if they fail to renew their passport before the cut-off date.

"Anyone who thinks they might be affected should look to renew their passport today or if you already have travel plans in the near future, consider using the fast-track passport renewal service."

The Home Office said new rules will apply to UK tourists travelling to many European countries under a no-deal Brexit and "some people may need to renew their passport earlier than planned".

A spokesman said: "If your passport does not meet the new rules, you should apply for a new passport before travelling to the countries affected.

"You can use the government's online passport checker to check a passport for travel to Europe. We recommend that you renew your passport in good time ahead of your travel date."