Three Surprising Reasons Your Passport May Not Be Valid For Travel
When it comes to passport advice, I turn to G3 Visas and Passports. Communications Director Summer Jenkins advises what how to avoid complications before you travel.
Your tickets are purchased, your bags are packed, you’ve checked to see if your destination requires a visa… but have you checked to make sure your passport is valid for travel?
Check Your Expiry Date
All too often, we receive frantic calls from the airport from travelers who have been denied boarding because their passport is too close to its expiration date. Almost every country in the world follows the “six month rule,” meaning that your passport must be valid for six months after your planned departure from the country. Even if you don’t have any travel planned, we recommend that you keep an eye on your expiry date and renew your passport when it nears that six-month mark.
Check Your Pages
Before you travel, flip through your passport and check to see if you still have any blank pages marked “Visas.” You will need to have at least one completely blank page for entry to any country, and the pages near the back of the passport that say “Amendments” or “Endorsements” do not count. Some countries, such as South Africa, require you to have two blank pages next to each other.
Check Your Passport’s Condition
If your passport has endured hard wear or has taken a trip through the washing machine, it might be considered mutilated. Common examples of mutilated passports include loose or missing covers, water-damaged pages, or peeling plastic coating on the photo page. Mutilated passports aren’t just invalid for travel; they no longer count as valid proof of US citizenship.
If you need to renew your passport, have passport pages added, or replace a mutilated passport, G3 can help with expedited passport services. We even offer same-day passport service through our Concierge Level Emergency Passport Service – just call G3 or email CLS@g3visas.com to begin your customized emergency service.
Editors’ Note: Carolyn Paddock writes about products and services that are beneficial for travelers. The products and services mentioned are neither commissioned by nor written in cooperation with the product company or manufacturers.
4 comments
It’s very important to remember the condition of your passport as it’s stated above. In some cases when applying for a passport renewal, it will be denied because your previous passport is “damaged”. In that case, you have to go through a different process to get a new passport.
Travel Nut- That is true. When your passport is damaged U.S. State Department can ask you to apply for a new passport (the process is same as applying for a first time passport) however in addition to that you will need to complete another form.
Before spending the money to renew my husbands passport, I emailed the US Passport office and checked the web site for both Ireland and Great Britain. All three of these locations stated that the Passport (scheduled to expire Oct 2012) would still be valid for our 10 day June trip. But after reading your comments above, I’m confused as there seems to be a disconnect. Could you let me know if Ireland and Great Britain will honor his existing passport. We will fly in and out on United Air Lines
Yes, I can understand your confusion as your husbands passport will be valid until October 2012. However, you are taking a chance by not updating it. G3 Visas and Passports get “weekly calls from people who are stranded at airports being denied boarding for this exact issue.” Its not just a government issue, its the airlines policy. You are flying on United… do you know their policy? And what if you flight cancels and you have to fly another carrier? My advice? Since you are going to renew it anyway, why not avoid any potential problems and do it before your trip. Bon Voyage!
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