time left on passport

[cherryelm]

My passport expires in september 2012 i plan to travel to portugal for 1 week in june 2012 must i renew my passport prior to travelling or can i wait until i get back?

[MarkRae]

Unless I'm missing something, your passport will be valid for all of the time you are abroad, will it not...?

[maggiebee]

My understanding is that if you are travelling to the US then your passport must have at least 6 weeks of "life" left, but not for Europe. Will stand corrected (as usual).

[fliptheswitch]

Some countries require that you have a certain about of time left on your passport, before you are allowed in.
When I went to Turkey, last year, I only had three months left on mine, and they got quite funny about it. I had to give them the address details of where I was staying, and they had to speak to my parents (who lived there at the time) on the phone.
I would contact the travel agent/flight operator you booked it through, just to be safe.

[237SJ]

You`ll be fine and you can renew it after you get back.

[ubasses]

For Portugal your passport only needs to cover the length of your stay. Foreign office always recommend that you have a little extra time when travelling, but I should think nearly 3 months should be sufficient. It makes sense in case you are taken ill and have to stay away longer than anticipated.

[SeaJayPea]

Within the EU your passport must be valid until the end of your projected stay only. As long as it expires on the day after you're due to return you'll be OK. Elsewhere is a different matter, but EU is fine.

[ABerrant]

You'll be fine (EU member states require EU passports be valid for the date of entry, although returning to the UK on an expired passport may be a hassle) and you can renew your passport up to 9 months in advance of expiry and have the unexpired period added to the new one e.g. renew in February 2012 for a passport valid til September 2022.

[buildersmate]

I'm with Berrant on this - there is no disadvantage in you not renewing now because the renewal date will be September 2022 anyway.
Who knows what will happen before then - civil servants go on strike again because of the whining about pension, peak loads slow the renewal timescale down and you might need the passport back quickly, Government randomly increases the cost of a new passport.
Why hang around?

[boxtops]

I'd do it now, before the holiday season hots up - don't give yourself the worry of wondering if anyone will be funny about it when you come back in. You will be OK though, unless the border control rules change radically before then!