Now that we’re heading into summer, it’s time to finalize plans on which beach, European city, or vacation destination we plan to pass our summer days. Before you embark on your trip, however, you should probably check your passport.
It might seem obvious to ensure that your passport isn’t expired before leaving, but you should know that many countries are requiring that passports have up to six months left prior to date of entry.
Heaven forbid you arrive at the airport gate, only to find that your dream destination won’t grant you entry because your passport expiration date. So if you plan to travel internationally this season, here’s what to know about passport expiration dates.
Is it possible to travel with less than 3 months on my passport?
Depends on where you’re going. The United Kingdom is a little more lenient when it comes to passport expiration dates. Here, the only requirements are that passports are valid throughout the duration of the stay. That said, if you plan on passing through the UK onward to other countries, your passport dates must adhere to the countries’ laws.
Destinations with similar passport regulations include: The Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, and Mexico.
It is possible to travel with less than 6 months on my passport?
Also depends. Passport regulation laws are set by foreign countries – not the US. As mentioned above, some countries solely require that the passport is valid throughout the duration of your stay. Others, including a bulk of Asian and European cities, require there to be a minimum of 6 months before the passports’ expiration date prior to date of entry.
If you already have your destination picked out, Travel.State.Gov is a good resource to identify country-specific passport regulations. Simply plug in your desired country and destination and toggle down to the quick facts to check the country’s passport validity requirements.
Do yourself a favor now and check your passport expiration date. If it expires this year, and you plan on traveling, you better go ahead and get it renewed before booking any international flight.
Which countries require 6 months on a passport?
Here is a list of countries across Africa, Asia, and Europe, and beyond that require a minimum of 6 months validity of your passport after date of departure.
African countries:
- Algeria
- Angola
- Botswana
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Congo
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Dibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nigeria
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uganda
Asian countries:
- Afghanistan
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Burma
- Cambodia
- China
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- North Korea
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- United Arab Emirates
- Vietnam
- Yemen
European countries:
- Austria
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Norway
- Poland
- Romania (as of March 2024)
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Oceanic countries:
- Fiji
- French Polynesia
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Micronesia
- New Caledonia
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Solomon Islands
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
South American Countries:
- Bolivia
- Ecuador
- Guyana
- Peru
- Suriname
- Venezuela
What do I do if I have a trip booked and my passport is about to expire?
If you’re now seeing that your passport is set to expire before upcoming traveling plans, you can opt for an expedited passport via The State Department’s “Get My Passport Fast”. The option, hence the name, allows people to renew their passports sooner than the usual 6-8 weeks. How soon you get your passport renewed, however, depends on the circumstances.
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