I'm going on holiday in 2 weeks, or at least I hope I am... My passport expires on 7th January. I'm traveling well before then, but someone put a worry into my mind that a passport has to be valid for 6 months after the proposed return... that means I need a passport valid until the 23rd of June 07!!! This has to be a joke! I can't find any decent info anywhere. Does anyone know if my friend is just being a ******* or if he is actually telling the truth?
AFAIK your passport has to be valid until the day you return to your home country. You just have to get tru the check and you are allowed to be in your own country without valid passport. ID is enough. I am not 100% sure so best is to call the police, they should know.
I think it depends where you are going. I think USA requires your passport to be valid for a period longer than your expected stay. Not 100% sure though.
Pretty sure your friend is right. I would call the passport people and see if you can find out for sure, but personally I'd be inclined to start replacing it ASAP.
I agree with specofdust, see if you can replace it ASAP. Should be fine if you have return tickets stating your return.
I rang my dad... Probably should have done that in the first place to be honest... him being a pilot an all. Turns out that it still has to be valid 3 months after expected return... Now i have 2 weeks to get an updated passport, which of course I have to pay for
Well you better get going then, or mayby in the morning aye. And remember, sooner is better, I left my Visa till last minute and only just got it about 18 hours before I left the country.
Well that was an experience! First number i called was a phishing website! They look legit, and probally are, and have been arround for ages, but its still phishing. They had a free number to call that wanted to re-direct you to a £1.60 a min private company specialising in informing you what the real deal can do for free:S in the small print at the bottom of the page was a quick note saying that alternatively we can go to the free website... Anyway, I go to the free website eventually and speak to a nice clueless person who gives me a new number, the new number is an equally clueless irish person who gave me another number... this went on for a while, but eventually I ended up getting through the the Swiss embassy in london and finally a clued in person was able to tell me that in switzerland as long as your passport is still valid while traveling there is no problem. I also found out that I'll be fine getting out of the UK and back in again. So, panic over! Now I just have to find a place to stay for the last 2 days of our holiday, get insurance, hire some clothes, book transfers, pay for everything.... You might say i'm a leave-everything-to-the-last-second kinda guy...
3 months for Europe, 6 months for the USA. Afaik you won't be allowed out of the country unless its valid for at least 3 months after the return date. This is for reasons such that if you have an accident you will have to extend your stay etc. If you send off your application for a new passport with "date of departure: dd/12/2006" on the front of the envelope the Passport Agency will try and deliver you a valid passport before you depart. The rules aren't very strict in the European Union but since Swizterland is not in the EU it might be a bit different. If you are willing to take the risk of taking a passport which expires soon then it's your choice And... have you ever thought of rining the passport agency????
I flying back home for christmas (am english but parents live in sri lanka) and just had to get my passport redone as it expires in feb. Phoned up for an appointment at a regional passport office on monday, got one for the next day at 11.30am and had my passport was ready for 3pm. Easy as.
They put me through to the swiss embassy. I've got 3 different sources now saying that i'm good to fly in and out. Dad - Pilot Swiss embassy - Representative of the country i'm invading Passport agency - said that i would be fine getting out of the uk and back in, but they didn't know if I would be able to get out of the airport in geneve. Thus why they put me through to the swiss embassy.
I would recommend having 6 months on your passport to travel anywhere, imagine this: Your passport expires on January 7th, 2007; Your due to leave on the 2nd and they cancel the flight due to poor weather conditions, they tryagain on the 6th, cancelled again, then on the 7th, cancelled again, fly on the 8th, you'll have a problem! I run a Post Office and were told to say 6months is safe time to leave but countries have there own policy on exceptence. Swiss embassy should know, but I would get a new passport. If you need to to ring up the Passport Office and arange a meeting with them to get a passport done while you wait, they will do it, my friend needed his replaced in the summer when he went to Turkey as he only have 2months left on his. Regards GiGo
I feel your pain brother. My girlfriend and I organised a trip to amsterdam, we payed for everything, then couldn't check in because... well long story involving the soviet union, but basically they told her she needed ANOTHER visa to get to amsterdam. Great, the embassy wasn't even open, the flight left in 2 and a half hours, and the visa would take 2-3 months to go through. So we just went to london instead
rem tho if it america ( so i have been told) its soon goin be u cant get in without a bio metric passport, i got a new bio one it has a microchip and antenna in it
