US passport question

[italian excursion]

Can someone advise about the "6 month" rule regarding length of time one must have had their passport before travel to Europe?
One of my tour guests is about 4.5 months mark and I'd not like to see her turned away at the border! (Haven't run across this in nearly 3 decades of travel)
Thank you,
Cheryl
www.italianexcursion.com

 

[JMichael]

I think you may have confused the rule. The passport is valid and usable from the date of issue. For adults, it is usually valid for 10 years. The date of issue and the date of expiration appear on the passport. Many countries require that the passport will not EXPIRE within the next six months.

 

[italian excursion]

I think you may have confused the rule. The passport is valid and usable from the date of issue. For adults, it is usually valid for 10 years. The date of issue and the date of expiration appear on the passport. Many countries require that the passport will not EXPIRE within the next six months.

Great! thank you for clarifying that for me. I think my confusion came from the fact that she had just renewed. Just an "oh duh" moment!

 

[Andrew]

Some bloggers say the Schengen countries require six months of validity, but the official sites say the rule is three months past the return date. For example, the U.S. State Department recommends six months, but the requirement is:

A U.S. passport (with applicable visas, if needed), valid for at least 90 days beyond your intended date of departure from the Schengen area. Note: Border officials often assume you will stay the maximum 90 days, even if this is not your intention.

 

[Wendy Ashworth]

We, in the UK must have a minimum of 6 months left
to run on our passports when visiting Europe.
Tour operators won’t let you make a booking unless that is
the case.
I understand that’s not a helpful statement for US travellers.

I did find this, however on travel.state.gov

European countries, where internal border checks have largely been abolished for short-term tourism, business trips, or transit to non-Schengen destinations. Because many Schengen countries assume that all entering travelers will stay for the full three months allowed for visa-free visitors, we recommend the following:

PASSPORT

• Have at least six-month’s validity remaining on your passport whenever you travel abroad.
• Check the expiration date on your passport carefully before traveling to Europe – especially children’s passports, which are valid five years, not 10 years like those issued to U.S. citizens aged 16 and older.
• Carry your passport when traveling to another country in the Schengen area. Even if there is no border check at that time, officials may reinstate border controls without notice.

You can find passport validity requirements for your destination country, along with other important information, on our country pages. If your passport does not meet the Schengen requirements, you may be:

• Refused boarding by the airline at your point of origin or while transferring planes.
• Denied entry when you arrive in the Schengen area, regardless of how long you will stay.

 

[NoSpin]

I can tell you a real life experience.

A couple years ago a neighbor was flying from the US to Italy via Germany. She told me the day before she was leaving that she had 3 months left before her passport expired. I told her she might not get into Germany. It turns out the airline wouldn't even let her on the plane. I believe the airlines do this because if a person is refused entry, the airline has to fly the person back at their expense.

She was flying out on Sunday. Monday morning she had to go to the State Department office in Boston and she got her new passport later that day. She flew out on Tuesday and missed 2 days of her art tour.

 

[Raacho Trekkers]

I can tell you a real life experience.

A couple years ago a neighbor was flying from the US to Italy via Germany. She told me the day before she was leaving that she had 3 months left before her passport expired. I told her she might not get into Germany. It turns out the airline wouldn't even let her on the plane. I believe the airlines do this because if a person is refused entry, the airline has to fly the person back at their expense.

She was flying out on Sunday. Monday morning she had to go to the State Department office in Boston and she got her new passport later that day. She flew out on Tuesday and missed 2 days of her art tour.

The airline should have allowed her to fly as "at least 3 months validity beyond your planned date of departure" rule is mentioned on the government website.

 

[Andrew]

The site says "intended date of departure from the Schengen area." As I understand, NoSpin's neighbor's passport had three months validity from her departure from the U.S.

 

[NoSpin]

The site says "intended date of departure from the Schengen area." As I understand, NoSpin's neighbor's passport had three months validity from her departure from the U.S.

Correct Andrew. The other interesting thing is she was only going for a one week trip and she had a return ticket on the same airline.