Contrary to what you might think, the expiration date on your passport does not mean you can use your passport to travel as much as you want up until it expires. In fact, a majority of popular international travel destinations require your passport to have at least three to six months of validity remaining before the expiration date approaches, otherwise, you may get turned around at the gate of the airport.
If you don’t want to have your dream vacation, getaway, or honeymoon taken from you at the very last second over such a minute detail, you’re going to want to make sure you check your passport long in advance!
To address some of the most common questions regarding this topic, here are some extra insights on international travel and how to deal with an expiring passport.
Can you travel if your passport expires within the next 6 months?
This depends entirely on where you are planning to travel, every country has its unique restrictions that apply to all foreign visitors.
It should also be fairly obvious, but in case you aren’t aware having an American passport does not grant you any special privileges in foreign countries when it comes to these kinds of travel restrictions.
There are some countries that just simply require you to have a non-expired passport, but as stated above, most of the popular international travel destinations do have a 6-month passport expiration policy in place.
You can confirm what the local regulations are in the country you plan to travel to by checking this U.S. Government Page, which will go into more details about the local travel requirements and potentially additional travel advisories.
What countries follow the 6-month rule?
There is a very long list of countries that follow the six-month policy when it comes to foreigners entering their country with passports that may expire soon. The following are a few of those countries that require your passport to be valid for at least another 6 months following the date you plan to start your international trip:
- Italy
- France
- Germany
- Netherlands
- Greece
- Spain
- Iceland
These are just a few examples, as stated earlier, you should always get with the State Department if you have any questions or concerns well in advance of your travel date.
Can you travel if your passport is going to expire within the next 3 months?
There are a few countries that will let you enter with only three months of validity left on your passport, while not as long a list as the countries that use the 6-month policy, here’s a few examples:
- Mexico
- Ireland
- Bermuda
- The Bahamas
What to do if you already had a trip planned but your passport is going to expire soon
Well, once again, this will depend on the local requirements of the country you are traveling to, in most cases, this simply means you will not be able to go on your trip unless you fix the problem.
If you have enough time, you can request a rushed renewal of your passport with the State Department that will give you the best chances to have it resolved in time for your journey.
- Routine renewal – 8-week process
- Expedited – Less than 8-week process
- Urgent – 2 to 3-week process
- Life-or-Death – Less than 2-week process
The rush request often costs around $60 extra, but to qualify for the urgent or ‘life-or-death’ status, you’ll need to have international travel already booked within two weeks of your passport renewal request.
Can I renew my passport if it hasn’t expired?
Yes, if you have less than six months of validity remaining before your passport expires, we recommend you start the process of renewing your passport as soon as possible. In fact, the U.S. Government recommends you renew your passport as soon as you are within a year of its expiration date.
What happens if your passport has already expired?
If your passport is expired you will not be allowed to travel internationally until you have it renewed, which you can do by filing the same renewal request process we mentioned above, however, the passport needs to have expired within the last 15 years to do a renewal. If it’s been longer than that, you’ll need to reapply for a passport from the very beginning.
Passport renewals can be carried out online, in person, or even by mail.
————————————————————
Featured Image credit: Global Residence Index