passport expiry date

[lyndylou]

What is the latest you can travel on a passport I know you have to have six months on it - but what are the fine details - six months to the day - six months at the finish of you holiday or what? I have booked a holiday March 14th for 2 weeks - my passport expires October 19th - Do I need a new passport - And will I get one in time

Also does the passport run from the expiry date or ten years from the renewal date

Help

[jno]

depends where you're going - some countries require you to have six months but if you're going to an EU country you can stay up till the last day.

[237SJ]

You don`t need to renew your passport if it runs until October. Your holiday in March will be fine. The six months thing is a bit of a myth.

[lyndylou]

Isn't it some thing to do with if you are ill while abroad??

[LCDMAN]

No.

[squarebear]

It's a myth put about by the passport office so you renew earlier.

[jno]

even if you were delayed by illness when you get there you've still got three weeks before the six months is up. And at that stage all you'd need the passport for is getting back into the UK, which you can do anytime up till October 19 - there's no six month requirement at this end.

All the same it's worth checking with the tourist office of the country you're going to exactly what their regulations are.

[ABerrant]

squarebear - why would the Passport Office propogate a "myth" to force early renewal? Surely they would prefer everyone to renew at the last moment so that applicants would have to pay for the premium fast-track services if their travel was imminent.

Early renewal allows a person to have a leisurely 9 month period ahead of expiration in which to sort out a new passport (without loss in the length of validity) and enabled me to beat the last fee increase.

That being said and although passport renewals are currently only taking about a week, as per 237SJ's recent thread...

http://www.theanswerb...l/Question979639.html

...I would not be comfortable in renewing my passport this close to travel if it wasn't a necessity.

[auntiebertie]

Where are you going to? Very few places actually require 6 months on your passport.

[dzug2]

The fine details vary by country - EU there is no 6 month requirement at all

Countries that do have a 6 month requirement - with some it's 6 months when you arrive, others it's 6 months when you leave.

And the myth is not put about by the passport office - it's put about by travel agents to protect themselves from clients misunderstanding the rules.

[mollykins]

I flew from england to scotland when it was a few days form expiring, and i was fine, and on the way back, it had expired but still ok as it was only a domestic flight.

[0rchidea]

If they say 6 months (as several countries do demand) then you should renew. You don't lose out as that 6 months is added to your new passport anyway.

I never take the chance of being refused entry on arrival so always renew with 6 months to go as habit.