The scene is set for your holiday; you’re packed—there’s enough sun cream in your case to fill a swimming pool—and ready to hit the beach. You’ve remembered your passport and it hasn’t expired yet. Only, that might not be quite enough to ensure you make it to your destination − enter: the six month passport rule.
Just because your passport is within date, it doesn’t mean you will be eligible to fly to every country, as there are different rules depending on where you wish to go. You could have six months left before your renewal date, but it may not be enough to take you off on holiday. A number of countries require you to have at least three-to-six months on your passport at the time of travelling.
If it’s been a while since you sent off your last passport application, here’s all you need to know about the rules and regulations regarding travelling right up to the wire.
Am I allowed to travel with under six months left on my passport?
Well, the most accurate (if a little vague) answer is that it really all depends on where you’re hoping to go. While some locations will simply require you to travel with a passport that is in date, others may need you to have six months left.
If you want to take the safest approach, that’ll be to simply not allow your passport reach the six-month left mark, which would mean kicking off your renewal process around nine-months before it is due to expire.
You can, however, use online resources to determine whether you will be able to travel without the full six months, or three months on your passport, such as this tool created by GOV.UK that allows you to search a country and view its entry requirements, which includes passport expiration information.
Which countries require you to have six months on your passport before travelling?
According to the World Visa Guide, this rule was first introduced to stop travellers from ‘overstaying in a foreign country’, meaning countries began to enforce three-to-six months passport laws. You can view a full list of countries that impose these rules via their handy guide.
Remember, the time period that you need to have six months on your passport can also differ between countries. UK Abroad state: “The calculation of the 6-month passport validity requirement depends on the specific country you are travelling to.
“In some cases, the six-month period begins from the date you depart from that country, while in other cases, it begins from the date you arrive. It is important to check the entry requirements of the country you plan to visit to determine which method of calculation applies.”
The Schengen Area (three months needed)
Countries in the Schengen Area, which includes most EU countries, require you to have three months left on your passport from the day you intend to leave. These countries are:
- Austria;
- Belgium;
- Bulgaria;
- Croatia;
- Czech Republic;
- Denmark;
- Estonia;
- Finland;
- France;
- Germany;
- Greece;
- Hungary;
- Iceland;
- Italy;
- Latvia;
- Liechtenstein;
- Lithuania;
- Luxembourg;
- Malta;
- The Netherlands;
- Norway;
- Poland;
- Portugal;
- Romania;
- Slovakia;
- Slovenia;
- Spain;
- Sweden;
- Switzerland.
Remember, if you need to check whether your passport will be valid in another nation when you plan to go, according to the six month passport rule, you can confirm all the requirements via the GOV.UK website.