In numerous countries around the world, US citizens need to have at least six months of validity left on their passports in order to enter.
Several months ago we posted a story about the six month rule. In numerous countries around the world, US citizens need to have at least six months of validity left on their passports in order to enter. So even if your passport is still technically valid, it may not be valid in the eyes of a foreign government if it’s within six months of expiring.
Evidently, this story caught a lot of our readers by surprise, and they weren’t the only ones. ABC recently reported on a family that had plans to visit Israel in June (before all of the current turmoil began). When the family got to the airport, they were turned away because their thirteen-year-old son’s passport was due to expire in less than six months.
The family had been traveling internationally for years and had never heard of such a thing.
Part of why the family may have been surprised is that this six month rule is a relatively new thing. More and more countries are adopting it, and we can’t really blame them. The US has a policy that requires any foreign visitor to have at least six months of validity left on their passport. Other countries are simply starting to return the favor.
Back in January, we posted a list of countries with a six month rule, but that list is already out of date. Things like this change all the time, which is why it is so important to check on the current travel standards of any country you plan to visit in advance of your trip. For the latest and most complete information, visit the US State Department’s Passports and International Travel website. On this particular page, you can look up any country in the world and find out that country’s current travel standards — whether it’s safe to visit, whether you need a visa, and if the country has a six month rule.
Very soon, you’ll also be able to look all of this information up on our newly redesigned website. We’re going to provide access to travel info for every country and provide you with all of the resources that you will need to get there safely. If you discover that you’re traveling somewhere that does enforce the six month rule, be sure to contact our team. We can help you renew your passport and can even expedite the process down to a matter of days.
