Passports: Renewals, Timing, and the Six-Month Rule

Check Your Passport Before We Book

I don't believe in giving everyone an arbitrary rule that says you must renew exactly nine or twelve months before a trip.

What I do want is for you to check your passport early in the planning process.

Passport processing times can change, and your destination may have its own passport-validity and entry requirements.

If your passport is getting close to expiration, let's figure that out while we still have options—not while you're packing.

Your passport should be part of the planning conversation from the beginning.

The “Six-Month Rule” Isn't One Universal Rule

You've probably heard that your passport must be valid for six months after you travel.

Sometimes that's true.

But it isn't the exact requirement for every country.

The U.S. Department of State advises that some destinations require a passport to remain valid for at least six months beyond the dates of your trip, and airlines may deny boarding when the destination's validity requirement isn't met.

Other destinations may have different validity requirements.

So instead of relying on something you heard from a friend, saw in a Facebook group, or remember from your last vacation, we check the requirement for the country you're actually visiting.

And if your trip includes several countries, we need to check them all.

Check More Than the Expiration Date

Your expiration date isn't the only thing that matters.

Depending on the destination and trip, we may also need to check:

• Required blank passport pages
• Visa or electronic travel authorization requirements
• Entry and exit rules
• Whether your passport is damaged
• Whether the name on your travel reservation matches your travel documents
• Requirements for every country on a multi-country itinerary

Traveling With Children? Check Their Passports Too

This one catches families because children's passports work differently from adult passports.

For U.S. passports, children under age 16 receive passports valid for five years, not ten, and those passports cannot simply be renewed using the adult renewal process. A new application must be made in person.

For a child under 16, both parents or guardians generally must approve passport issuance. There are procedures and additional documentation for situations where one or both cannot appear, or when one parent has sole legal authority.

And having the child's passport isn't necessarily the end of the paperwork.

Some international destinations have additional requirements when a minor travels with only one parent, without either parent, or with another adult such as a grandparent.

Never assume the rules from your last family trip are the rules for this one.

Your Name Matters

The name on your airline reservation and travel documents needs careful attention.

This becomes especially important after marriage, divorce, a legal name change, or when someone routinely uses a nickname or middle name differently.

When we're making reservations, I want the traveler's information entered based on the travel documents they will actually use for the trip.

This is not the place for “everybody calls me Jimmy.” I want to know what the passport says.

Don't Wait Until the Airport to Find the Problem

There are some travel problems we can't control.

Weather happens. Flights change. Travel occasionally decides it has its own plans.

Your passport is one area where a little early checking can prevent a very big headache.

Before an international trip, I want us to know:

• Is it valid for the destination?
• Does it meet the required validity period?
• Do you have the necessary pages?
• Does your reservation information match?
• Do you need a visa or travel authorization?
• Are there additional requirements for any children traveling?
• That's much easier to deal with months before a vacation than at an airline counter.

Planning an International Trip?

Your passport and entry requirements are part of the trip planning—not something I want you discovering at the airport.

When we're planning your international vacation, I'll help point you toward the current official requirements for the destination you're visiting so you know what needs your attention and where to verify it.