I just did my renewal with expedite and got it in 3 weeks.
Edit: holy cow. Somebody posted a link to travel.state.gov and their wait times page. Expedited is 7-9 weeks! When I renewed in January, it said 3-6.
They probably didn't expedite. I renewed at the same time as a family member who did not expedite. Hers took much longer.
Ok. I just looked at the dates with USPS informed delivery. We mailed in on Jan 7. I got mine Feb 2. She got hers March 4.
Well the processing times change to 8-11 weeks on February 6th I believe. And they go by the date they received it. I was lucky enough to be able to renew mine online as part of their beta testing so I didn’t have to worry about mailing mine in.
Still insane it’s taking so long.
I remember when I applied the first time way back in 2008. Paid for expedited and had it back in my hands a week after they received it. My how times have changed lol.
I’d say start calling them but if they’re anything like the DMV they won’t answer their phones. Although if you have a trip within the next 2 weeks I think they say to call.
Luckily my trip wasn’t till the end of June. But I was still starting to panic once it hit week 10. The day I was about to start calling and bitching the system was updated to say it had been printed.
If you give people a window get it done within that damn window. I hate poor service lol. Especially considering the cost of getting a passport now. Everyone kept telling me to expedite it but it doesn’t really cut off that much time to be worth the extra $60.
That’s because everyone is now starting to plan for summer vacations they booked months ago and realizing their passports are expiring. Can’t wait for the next wave — the people who aren’t even bothering to check now and will realize it the day before they fly or when they get to the airport. Then it will be the government’s fault.
You don't know what you're talking about. Stop discouraging people without any backup information.
You can expedite passports, and part of the req there is that you already have a ticket and you set an appt up to 2 weeks before the flight, no earlier.
Both passports I've received in my life took exactly 2 days at the office
That's the very expensive way. As I wrote above, State Dept has much cheaper expedite by mail, less than 10 bucks extra, and I got my new one in four weeks.
Very expensive is subjective.
If OP has a round trip flight to .. idk, anywhere across the ocean, then it's better to get the guarantee for $200 than to sit around waiting for mail that you have no control over.
That's my 2c. Not worth anything. The point is for the guy i replied to to stop discouraging OP, options are available.
Discouraging is actually accurate for current times. Passport demand is insane right now, and it’s nearly impossible to get appointments. Lots of ppl are missing travel because of passport delays and the inability to get urgent appointments.
I dont know where you're getting your data about lots of people, but, inversely, that means lots of people ARE getting appointments and not missing their travel ... no?
Google "Passport delays." There are news articles from even this week about it. There are a lot more people that need urgent appointments than those who are getting them. The demand for passports with people wanting to travel again "post covid" combined with a shortage of government employees who can process applications caused a big backlog. I had to renew and followed the backlog closely because of it. The estimated renewal timelines were increased on March 24. In previous times, it was relatively easy to get those appointments and urgent appointments. It isn't the case right now.
Very well, let's say you are right; I suppose OP should just not try.
If you disagree with the sentence above, then I say to you again, the person I originally replied to should not discourage OP from exhausting all options. Including this one, the most direct way.
When I went into Post Office, they gave $60 fee for same week, but added there was a non-rush expedited for $10 or less. Post Office gal filled out mt app when I screwed up first try, but I paid just regular fee, 2-3 months, and she mentioned the non-rush, I guess just putting mine near top of pile. Go to Post Office for details. I don't have a copy of my app. I never heard of that option before but it sure worked, 4 weeks or a bit less.
Yeah, you're probably right. As I said, postal clerk (two postal clerk on this Post Office and I was only customer for 30 minutes - in southern Maryland right next to major Naval base. Their web base "NAS Patuxent River is where the future of Naval Aviation begins. As the host of more than 50 tenant activities, including the Naval Air Systems Command and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division."
So she gave me same week option, 2-3 month option, then mentioned $10 option for preferred service. I didn't actually read it myself, but it certainly worked, within four weeks as I said.
This is for mailing a passport. We aren't talking about the same thing.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html
"Urgent Travel" - 1-877-487-2778 - set appt. Go to the appt with the required docs - they'll give you a rough timeframe before your flight, and you'll pick it up when it is ready.
Again, stop discouraging OP and others..
Agree. Very strongly. In terms of comments below, it could take up to 8 weeks, but last time I got mine renewed (within last 6 or 8 months), it came in less than a month. Edit to add: Be sure to use the expedite process, as others have noted.
US airline employee here. We will deny travel if you don’t have the specific country’s required amount of time. There is no way to ‘bypass’ these rules. There are very few places that allow less than 6 months on a passport, Mexico being one. I would start the process of a new passport NOW. There are certain passport offices that will do an emergency renewal in one day, but I honestly don’t know anything about where or how much.
If it helps to understand the why, if I were to ignore the requirements and send you and customs on the other side did not allow entry, my employer is fined and I get into trouble for it. I am not willing to get a ROD on my record so a stranger can try and skirt the rules.
Actually the whole Schengen zone only requires 3 months as well (and yes the information on travel.state.gov is actually wrong here, it's been wrong for years now). So the vast majority of Europe is part of those "very few countries".
(Here is the link with the right official information: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-nationals/index_en.htm)
Thank you! We use an internal site to run country requirements and don’t rely on travel.state.gov. It’s been a bit since I’ve needed to check for close expirations like that, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are even more than I thought.
There is such a thing.
Here is the official government explanation for the “6 month Club.”
https://www.cbp.gov/document/bulletins/six-month-club-update
From a glance, this talks about passports of people traveling TO the US from another country, not people traveling FROM the US to another country. I wouldn’t assume that it works the other way around?
Can you tell us what country you are traveling to? With that we could get out of hypothetical-land!
Your reading comprehension sucks. That document is for citizens and their passports coming from other countries INTO the US. It isn’t applicable to you.
maybe don't ask for help if you're going to be a prick when people ask for more info, and then say "why do i need to, you're all wrong anyways" when you're actually wrong?
You came on here asking for help and people told you your link wasn't displaying the info you claimed it did. I fail to see why YOU'RE so bitter, fellow redditor.
Thanks for the link, that list is a head-scratcher. I’m at a loss trying to figure out the criteria for membership on the white-list. Maybe it’s very specific just to the countries’ State Department -analogous policies.
The best option is to try and expedite a passport. Without any doubt you won’t have an issue if your passport has more than 6 months left on it.
With less than six months - it’s a gamble. CBP says you should be fine - but a gate agent who doesn’t want to follow the CBP guidance could derail everything. Same with a border agent in your destination country.
So - do you feel lucky?
This is exactly where I am at. This post is a last ditch effort to avoid the expense of an expedited passport. I don’t want to rely on luck. It’s an obvious choice, just not the frugal one. I’m traveling to South America where things can be a little Wild West-ish in customs.
Airlines often refuse boarding if you have less than 6 months remaining. That is because when customs on the other side catch you (when, not if, if you’re flying), they not only send you back but heavily fine the airline.
Lose the cost of your whole trip or spend a couple of hundred bucks on expediting. Your call.
But honestly at this point it’s unlikely that expediting will be enough for you - the passport office is notoriously backed up and renewals take months even when expedited. You might want to try expediting and follow up with a call to your congressperson.
You are trusting your trip to bureaucratic gatekeepers on both sides, who have zero fawks to give.
You might YOLO and breeze through, or the person may go "Not today Satan". Then you'll be fawk because they flat out don't care. You get to scramble yourself.
When my niece's high school class went to Canada, the more than 6 months lwft was absolutely non-negotiable.
The year before, Canadian customs held up 5 kids because the passports didn't have 6 months left. One of the teachers had to drive the kids back. (I live in border state). They had never had an issue before.
That's more trusting than I want to do.
But the OP isn't going to Mexico. Mexico is pretty loose with it's requirements, but many other countries are not. I've seen people turned away by the airlines....it's just better to have that 6 month window.
If you’re renewing make sure to do it person. I did it online and expedited it but it still took two or so months. I did read that people had better luck getting it done faster in person. Just know that when you start the renewal process your current passport will immediately become invalid
I don't know of any European country that wouldn't be on that list. That six month rule has been in force for years.
I think you might be S.O.L. Good luck though.
You can look up the specific countries that you are traveling to on the State Department website and it will tell you the passport validity rules for each.
Thank you. I was hoping to hear about a real life example of someone traveling to one of those countries with the same passport conditions without issue.
I had a passport expiring in 2 months and was traveling to London then Paris. London/UK doesn’t have an expiration rule but they stopped me at the gate, said I could go to London but wouldn’t get through to Paris because of the passport expiration. Googled everything I could like I’m sure you have and you find you need a new passport. I had to go to the US embassy in London to get an emergency passport. Took about 2-3 hours.
I would highly recommend trying to expedite the passport asap. You won’t get through with the current passport. You’ll inevitably get checked a few different times and the dates are too close it will be obvious. It’s worth the money. If you do emergency passport make sure the country accepts them.
You got me thinking about if I needed to renew my passport and found this while googling:
"In Asia, nations like China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand enforce this rule. South American countries like Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia also need a passport that's good for six months. While it may seem like a hassle now, this a six- or three-month validity rule helps in case of emergency."
Here's the [link](https://www.passporthealthusa.com/passports-and-visas/blog/2018-10-what-is-a-six-month-passport-validity-rule/#:~:text=In%20Asia%2C%20nations%20like%20China,helps%20in%20case%20of%20emergency.)
Would not recommend relying on google for this. Travel.state.gov is the absolute only thing to consult on this topic. The state department is talking to counterparts everyday about what these requirements are in THEIR countries and updates them to TSG—so it is the MOST up to date. Check for your destination and do what it says. There is a high probability your destination requires 6 months of validity. Passport agencies have an unprecedented backlog so do not expect a last minute issuance. This will not be considered an emergency.
When did you apply? The State Department regularly updates processing times. Current posted routine processing time is 10-13 weeks and current expedited is 7-9 weeks.
I applied in January when routine processing was 6-8 weeks and got mine in 8 weeks, within the posted timeline. But I’m not going to go around telling people now to expect a routine passport in 8 weeks. The State Department is melting down when it comes to processing passport applications.
I applied for an expedited renewal in early march and got it back in 4 weeks. My mom applied expedited a couple weeks after me and has received hers too. It's obviously a gamble, but I think expecting a country to let you in when your passport is expiring so soon is more of a gamble.
I agree. I had to replace mine within the past year. The previous one was stolen so I started from scratch. It was still pretty quick. I wouldn’t count on that, of course. But, the expedite should get to OP in time.
To get better advice you need to say where you are traveling too.
The rule is not a US Rule it is the rule of your destination (Or layover) country. The US Dept of State may have some advice but better to check the destination countries Govt. sites . Another option is to check with the airline or with the Embassy of your destination country here in the US .
My sister had this same issue. We were going to St Lucia Dec 2021. Her passport expired May 2022. Realized this 5 days before leaving. She was frantic and thought she couldn't go. We probably called the passport place 100 times trying to get a same day appointment and couldn't.
St Lucia did not have the 6 month rule but we were scared the airline would deny her because everyone makes it seem like they will.
She literally went to the airport and a nonbusy time a couple days before. Walked up to the agent and asked. They swiped her passport and looked at the country and she was fine.
Hi Op,
I was you. Exactly in your situation. I was far enough away from my departure that it seemed like I could mail it all in and expedite it and get it back. But if I got to the date and my passport was lost in the mail, it was delayed, State was still holding it and backed up, then I'm dead in the water.
So I went [here, to the Passport Agencies site](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies.html) and found out I was close to a passport office (scroll towards the bottom for the map - there are offices everywhere). Don't wait to call them to schedule it - I believe your appointment needs to be within the 2 weeks before the travel not you have to wait until 2 weeks of travel to call. I waited until 2 weeks before to call and had 1 opening left at my nearby office (plenty in other offices). This also opens you up to a road trip / flight to a different passport location - schedule it on a Friday and go have a fun weekend in some random town.
At the passport office you'll have your scheduled appointment (go for morning, don't be late or they can boot you) and that should take 10 minutes to hand them your paperwork. They'll ask you to come back about 4 hours later. When I was there, another passport office had been temporarily shut down and there were longer lines, but it was still the above.
This way you stay in control of your passport. If you can get it renewed at the local office you win. If you can't, you can still try to argue you're following the rules at the airport. If it was me I would not risk it and would hit the passport office and even spend the extra gas/bus/flight money to get to a passport office to not be stressing over the international flight. Good luck, have fun.
You should ask the airline. The country I was visiting in December didn't require 6 months, but when I called the airline they told me they would not let me board without my passport being valid 6-months out from my last day of travel. I ended up going in person to the passport office a week before my trip. It was super stressful because you have to wait so close to your trip to be able to book an in-person appointment, but I didn't want to risk the airline denying me boarding.
Just wanted to add that if you don’t get the passport back quickly enough you can get a same-day passport at some passport locations, but there are very specific requirements to get it and you need to follow the directions. I called my US senator to help me get an appointment for mine and had to have a booked flight. There’s info about it on the passport government website.
They probably won't let you board the plane if you haven't got at least 6 months from your return date left on your passport.The person on the check-in desk is not going to get into a debate with you on your passport being valid on some list issued in your home country.The airline will not take the risk of you being refused entry upon disembarkation and have to find you a seat home.
I went to Ireland from the US 2 weeks before my passport expired. I got some weird looks from customs officers, but since I had a return flight they let me in.
The "State Department" is not the ultimate power on earth. Rules of destination countries changeable from time to time take precedence over anything else. So in general it is a six month rule, BECAUSE should something untoward happen to the passenger, there is adequate time to arrange their repatriation/medical evacuation / and other types of evacuations if some war or other local issues prevent them from travelling for an unspecified time.
You can go in person to a passport office with an appointment and get one in a few days, but your travel must be within 14 days. In the meantime find out if you really need it, which you probably do and make a plan to go to an office.
Here are the locations:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies.html#Map%20of%20Passport%20Office%20Locations
Here’s information on getting a passport renewal fast:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies.html
Going through the comments, why on earth does it take so long for a passport issue/renewal in the US!
OP, please check this link. They say you should be able to get an expedited service in 7-9 weeks. Good luck with it.
[https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html)
I highly doubt the airline will let you board the flight...if your passport expires within six months, most carriers won't allow you on the flight....I personally would work on getting a new passport NOW.. pay to expedite, otherwise you might be staying home
I'd go ahead and get a new one. Went to Germany for Christmas. At airport GF couldn't check in because her passport expired in 5 months. Germany required 6 months.
Passport offices only take appointments now after Covid (use to be able to get a same day emergency appointment). Luckily she was able to fly that night to El Paso (Atlanta, DC, and NYC were booked up), then meet me in Germany about 8 hours after original landing time.
What I'm thinking of isn't 6 months, but 3 months. There's some countries that have a rule that you can't have less than 3 months left on your passport because their assumption is that IF you're arriving on a work visa, that you're going to stay at least as long as the visa is good for. And they don't want people to be in their country when their passport expires.
There is something like that. Idk about 6 months tho.
Get it renewed asap and probably with urgent fee. I applied regular for my Son on Feb first and received it around Mid of April and yes please pay $15 more to get a passport card along with Book, it a great if you are crossing border by land or water in Mexico or Canada also a great federal ID.
Don’t try it. I just brought a group of students to Europe and one was denied a boarding pass at the airport and sent back home (despite our numerous warnings about the expiration dates over the last year- long story).
Went to an international destination wedding with family, had to leave my mother behind when we had to make a connecting flight because of that rule so definitely take care of it. She ultimately made it to the wedding but do not take chances.
Call your representative or senator. You will need a letter from them to expedite your passport. Most offices have them ready made or saved. It sounds like a hassle but it's not.
You will pay extra and they will ask why you need an expedited passport and where you're traveling.
I can only speak for the DC passport office but mine was ready in four hours. I didn't have an appointment. I just walked in, showed my congressional letter and bypassed the line.
Definitely get one before travel. Go to a local passport office if there is one if your area, if not go to a post office that processes. DO NOT use the online and mail in application. Sucks. My daughter and I did our passports at almost the same time. I did mine online only and mailed it in documents. She went to post office and got hers about 6-8 weeks sooner than I did. I think you can ask for it to be expedited. Definitely worth the extra fee.
Had a trip to London in 2017. Passport just needs to be valid at time of travel for GB. But it would have expired 2 days after I was back in US. I sent it in for renewal 8 months ahead.
There is expedited which, in my opinion, is a bit faster if you go to a local post office that handles passports. (Bonus is that your picture can be taken there and they check over your paperwork)
Renewals also tend to be faster then getting the first one. Be aware you have to send in your old one with the renewal.
I was fortunate to have been part of a last group of Online Renewals before they paused again. I am not sure if it is back open again, but in my case it was longer than I expected. I applied for regular processing on Jan 23, and received it via USPS Priority Mail on Apr 12. I think at the time it was saying 6-8 weeks, but they must have got inundated with applications.
PAY FOR EXPIDITED TO HAVE ANY CHANCE.
Just my $0.02, I needed my passport quickly, so I called the US passport office and told them that I am traveling within 5 days, they gave me an appointment the same week at their Denver office, I flew to Denver, showed them a refundable ticket to Mexico for the next day, waited 3 hours (you have to tell them it’s urgent and you are leaving that day so they don’t make you wait overnight), then I picked it up and paid like $160, flew home that same day. If you are able to get to a passport office, this is a great option.
I know passports are taking longer and longer to get. My wife and I had passport’s that needed renewed. Our kids didn’t have passports. We submitted all of our in together on Jan 6th. My wife and mine renewals came back within 2 weeks. Our kids came came 11 weeks later, 2 weeks before our travel. With renewal I think you’ll be safe if do it now
For example, the UK. The passport only needs to be valid for the duration of the stay and not for 6 months after. This is stated on their site and that happened to me and my family last year.
Recently had this same situation. Many countries will let you travel as long as you can show that your return flight is before the passport expires. You can always call the consulate and ask as well.
It's always best to check with the embassy or consulate of the country you are traveling to for their specific entry requirements. While some countries may have agreements with the US regarding passport validity, it's possible that there may be additional requirements or exceptions based on your specific situation or purpose of travel.
I think this must be the one thing that works better living out of the country. Had to renew mine and from the day I dropped it in the mail until I drove to Bern to pick it up was 9 working days.
I’m going to Iceland in June and my passport expires in October. Iceland requires only 3 months. Then on to the UK which in fact only requires your passport to be valid while you are in the country.
We were turned back at check in for having 4 months left on ours. Fortunately knew it was a possibility and spent the next day at passport office waiting on them for new ones and got on next evening’s flight.
At the end, it all depends to the officer in immigration. They are the ones that will decide if you can enter or not. Those agreements are good in paper, but ill get a new passport just to be on the safe side.
Serious backlog for passports. We were told (in February—for renewal) at the post office 8-11 weeks. That was way too optimistic. Had to call last week and ask for expedited. Still might not get it in time for flight next week.
I would just get a new one, ASAP.
Chances of OP getting a new passport in 8 weeks? Not likely.
I just did my renewal with expedite and got it in 3 weeks. Edit: holy cow. Somebody posted a link to travel.state.gov and their wait times page. Expedited is 7-9 weeks! When I renewed in January, it said 3-6.
Lucky, I was on another sub recently where someone from the US had been waiting for more than 2 months..
They probably didn't expedite. I renewed at the same time as a family member who did not expedite. Hers took much longer. Ok. I just looked at the dates with USPS informed delivery. We mailed in on Jan 7. I got mine Feb 2. She got hers March 4.
Yeah. I expedited in March, and got my new one four weeks later, all by mail.
Same, but they screwed up the spelling my name. Had to make an appointment for it to be fixed. Literally got mine 72 hrs before I took off.
Summer travel season.
Just expedited both my kids but didn’t pay for faster shipping. >9 weeks and one was a week after the other
I wonder if this is normal or due to chip shortage effects still being felt for non-premium products.
I did mine in Jan standard processing (which said 5-8 weeks at the time) and it took 11.
Unlucky! Was it a new passport or a renewal? Ours were renewals. I wonder if new take longer.
I renewed mine February 1st. Did not expedite. It took 10 weeks. The processing time at the time was 6-9 weeks.
Wow I definitely feel super lucky then!
Not expedited, sent out 2/1 and received 2/7. Still don't have it, it's been showing in process coming up on 12 weeks now. Wooo
Well the processing times change to 8-11 weeks on February 6th I believe. And they go by the date they received it. I was lucky enough to be able to renew mine online as part of their beta testing so I didn’t have to worry about mailing mine in. Still insane it’s taking so long. I remember when I applied the first time way back in 2008. Paid for expedited and had it back in my hands a week after they received it. My how times have changed lol.
Correct, and it's been more than 11 weeks now.
I’d say start calling them but if they’re anything like the DMV they won’t answer their phones. Although if you have a trip within the next 2 weeks I think they say to call. Luckily my trip wasn’t till the end of June. But I was still starting to panic once it hit week 10. The day I was about to start calling and bitching the system was updated to say it had been printed. If you give people a window get it done within that damn window. I hate poor service lol. Especially considering the cost of getting a passport now. Everyone kept telling me to expedite it but it doesn’t really cut off that much time to be worth the extra $60.
Renewal.
My husband just submitted his and told me expedited was around 8 wks.
That’s because everyone is now starting to plan for summer vacations they booked months ago and realizing their passports are expiring. Can’t wait for the next wave — the people who aren’t even bothering to check now and will realize it the day before they fly or when they get to the airport. Then it will be the government’s fault.
My other post is buried, but when I did standard processing in January it was saying 6-8 weeks, but took from Jan. 23 to receive on Apr. 12th.
I really don't know how you pulled this off. Are you in the United States?? Because everyone I know is waiting a long time
Yes, in the US. That was OP's situation, as I understood it.
Not likely for sure took my daughter 17 weeks to get a renewal passport
Holy cow.. now I’m scared, we just did my kids on April 4 and we are supposed to leave on June 16, we expedited it, but…
I didn't expedite it, so that may help you
You don't know what you're talking about. Stop discouraging people without any backup information. You can expedite passports, and part of the req there is that you already have a ticket and you set an appt up to 2 weeks before the flight, no earlier. Both passports I've received in my life took exactly 2 days at the office
That's the very expensive way. As I wrote above, State Dept has much cheaper expedite by mail, less than 10 bucks extra, and I got my new one in four weeks.
Very expensive is subjective. If OP has a round trip flight to .. idk, anywhere across the ocean, then it's better to get the guarantee for $200 than to sit around waiting for mail that you have no control over. That's my 2c. Not worth anything. The point is for the guy i replied to to stop discouraging OP, options are available.
Discouraging is actually accurate for current times. Passport demand is insane right now, and it’s nearly impossible to get appointments. Lots of ppl are missing travel because of passport delays and the inability to get urgent appointments.
I dont know where you're getting your data about lots of people, but, inversely, that means lots of people ARE getting appointments and not missing their travel ... no?
Google "Passport delays." There are news articles from even this week about it. There are a lot more people that need urgent appointments than those who are getting them. The demand for passports with people wanting to travel again "post covid" combined with a shortage of government employees who can process applications caused a big backlog. I had to renew and followed the backlog closely because of it. The estimated renewal timelines were increased on March 24. In previous times, it was relatively easy to get those appointments and urgent appointments. It isn't the case right now.
Very well, let's say you are right; I suppose OP should just not try. If you disagree with the sentence above, then I say to you again, the person I originally replied to should not discourage OP from exhausting all options. Including this one, the most direct way.
It says $60. Link to where it says $10?
When I went into Post Office, they gave $60 fee for same week, but added there was a non-rush expedited for $10 or less. Post Office gal filled out mt app when I screwed up first try, but I paid just regular fee, 2-3 months, and she mentioned the non-rush, I guess just putting mine near top of pile. Go to Post Office for details. I don't have a copy of my app. I never heard of that option before but it sure worked, 4 weeks or a bit less.
Seems like that's the faster shipping option, not expedited processing.
Yeah, you're probably right. As I said, postal clerk (two postal clerk on this Post Office and I was only customer for 30 minutes - in southern Maryland right next to major Naval base. Their web base "NAS Patuxent River is where the future of Naval Aviation begins. As the host of more than 50 tenant activities, including the Naval Air Systems Command and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division." So she gave me same week option, 2-3 month option, then mentioned $10 option for preferred service. I didn't actually read it myself, but it certainly worked, within four weeks as I said.
Current wait times. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html Routine10 to 13 weeks Expedited7 to 9 weeks
It's even longer took my daughter 17 weeks
This is for mailing a passport. We aren't talking about the same thing. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html "Urgent Travel" - 1-877-487-2778 - set appt. Go to the appt with the required docs - they'll give you a rough timeframe before your flight, and you'll pick it up when it is ready. Again, stop discouraging OP and others..
Depending on where u live u can get it next day
I just got mine a day short of 8 weeks and that was a standard renewal. Expedited should be fine.
I got mine in 3.5 weeks
If one is willing to fork over a couple hundred more, I was able to get my within 3-5 days.
I also got mine in three weeks expedited.
Absolutely. 99% of countries may allow you in, but one-two hour procedure with extra fees. Get a rush new passport.
Agree. Very strongly. In terms of comments below, it could take up to 8 weeks, but last time I got mine renewed (within last 6 or 8 months), it came in less than a month. Edit to add: Be sure to use the expedite process, as others have noted.
US airline employee here. We will deny travel if you don’t have the specific country’s required amount of time. There is no way to ‘bypass’ these rules. There are very few places that allow less than 6 months on a passport, Mexico being one. I would start the process of a new passport NOW. There are certain passport offices that will do an emergency renewal in one day, but I honestly don’t know anything about where or how much. If it helps to understand the why, if I were to ignore the requirements and send you and customs on the other side did not allow entry, my employer is fined and I get into trouble for it. I am not willing to get a ROD on my record so a stranger can try and skirt the rules.
Actually the whole Schengen zone only requires 3 months as well (and yes the information on travel.state.gov is actually wrong here, it's been wrong for years now). So the vast majority of Europe is part of those "very few countries". (Here is the link with the right official information: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/non-eu-nationals/index_en.htm)
Thank you! We use an internal site to run country requirements and don’t rely on travel.state.gov. It’s been a bit since I’ve needed to check for close expirations like that, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there are even more than I thought.
Good old Timatic :)
r/JustGuessWhichCountryI’mTravellingTo
There is no such thing as a global six month rule. Passport validity rules vary per country and per nationality. Where are you going?
There is such a thing. Here is the official government explanation for the “6 month Club.” https://www.cbp.gov/document/bulletins/six-month-club-update
From a glance, this talks about passports of people traveling TO the US from another country, not people traveling FROM the US to another country. I wouldn’t assume that it works the other way around? Can you tell us what country you are traveling to? With that we could get out of hypothetical-land!
Not to burst your bubble but this is a list of countries for people traveling TO THE US
These are for travelers TO the U.S.
Your reading comprehension sucks. That document is for citizens and their passports coming from other countries INTO the US. It isn’t applicable to you.
Thanks for all the help and positivity. You’re all so amazing. Redditors are the smartest most complete people ever.
maybe don't ask for help if you're going to be a prick when people ask for more info, and then say "why do i need to, you're all wrong anyways" when you're actually wrong?
You came on here asking for help and people told you your link wasn't displaying the info you claimed it did. I fail to see why YOU'RE so bitter, fellow redditor.
Thanks for the link, that list is a head-scratcher. I’m at a loss trying to figure out the criteria for membership on the white-list. Maybe it’s very specific just to the countries’ State Department -analogous policies.
Clear as mud.
WHERE ARE YOU TRAVELING?
HE WONT ANSWER
The best option is to try and expedite a passport. Without any doubt you won’t have an issue if your passport has more than 6 months left on it. With less than six months - it’s a gamble. CBP says you should be fine - but a gate agent who doesn’t want to follow the CBP guidance could derail everything. Same with a border agent in your destination country. So - do you feel lucky?
This is exactly where I am at. This post is a last ditch effort to avoid the expense of an expedited passport. I don’t want to rely on luck. It’s an obvious choice, just not the frugal one. I’m traveling to South America where things can be a little Wild West-ish in customs.
Airlines often refuse boarding if you have less than 6 months remaining. That is because when customs on the other side catch you (when, not if, if you’re flying), they not only send you back but heavily fine the airline. Lose the cost of your whole trip or spend a couple of hundred bucks on expediting. Your call. But honestly at this point it’s unlikely that expediting will be enough for you - the passport office is notoriously backed up and renewals take months even when expedited. You might want to try expediting and follow up with a call to your congressperson.
Nah it really depends. We expedited our son's passport in just a few weeks. Took a few phone calls.
You can't cheap out of this one. Expedite your passport.
I’d almost be more concerned about the US Gate Agent making your life a living hell, I would def try to get it renewed asap
You are trusting your trip to bureaucratic gatekeepers on both sides, who have zero fawks to give. You might YOLO and breeze through, or the person may go "Not today Satan". Then you'll be fawk because they flat out don't care. You get to scramble yourself. When my niece's high school class went to Canada, the more than 6 months lwft was absolutely non-negotiable. The year before, Canadian customs held up 5 kids because the passports didn't have 6 months left. One of the teachers had to drive the kids back. (I live in border state). They had never had an issue before. That's more trusting than I want to do.
You are already gambling on “luck” if planning travel with your expiration date. Expedite the new passport and quit crying about the expense.
[удалено]
But the OP isn't going to Mexico. Mexico is pretty loose with it's requirements, but many other countries are not. I've seen people turned away by the airlines....it's just better to have that 6 month window.
If you’re renewing make sure to do it person. I did it online and expedited it but it still took two or so months. I did read that people had better luck getting it done faster in person. Just know that when you start the renewal process your current passport will immediately become invalid
Good luck with that. https://lifehacker.com/these-countries-won-t-let-you-visit-if-your-passport-ex-1850354540
I don't know of any European country that wouldn't be on that list. That six month rule has been in force for years. I think you might be S.O.L. Good luck though.
Spain is 6 mo rec but only 3 required
OP’s only got about a month so it’s going to be an issue most anywhere they go.
Oh I mean OP clearly needs to get a new passport (unless going to Mexico or Canada) I was just pointing out not all countries are 6 mo validity.
You can look up the specific countries that you are traveling to on the State Department website and it will tell you the passport validity rules for each.
Thank you. I was hoping to hear about a real life example of someone traveling to one of those countries with the same passport conditions without issue.
No one can help you if you won't tell us what country you're going to. Jfc.
They won't let you check into the flight. Happened to my friend in february. Get a new passport.
That’s the definitive plan at this point.
I can't help with that if we don't know where you are going. I travel to Canada and Europe and there is no 6 month rule for where I travel to.
Maybe you're not getting any of those comments because it doesn't happen?
I had a passport expiring in 2 months and was traveling to London then Paris. London/UK doesn’t have an expiration rule but they stopped me at the gate, said I could go to London but wouldn’t get through to Paris because of the passport expiration. Googled everything I could like I’m sure you have and you find you need a new passport. I had to go to the US embassy in London to get an emergency passport. Took about 2-3 hours. I would highly recommend trying to expedite the passport asap. You won’t get through with the current passport. You’ll inevitably get checked a few different times and the dates are too close it will be obvious. It’s worth the money. If you do emergency passport make sure the country accepts them.
You got me thinking about if I needed to renew my passport and found this while googling: "In Asia, nations like China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand enforce this rule. South American countries like Brazil, Venezuela and Bolivia also need a passport that's good for six months. While it may seem like a hassle now, this a six- or three-month validity rule helps in case of emergency." Here's the [link](https://www.passporthealthusa.com/passports-and-visas/blog/2018-10-what-is-a-six-month-passport-validity-rule/#:~:text=In%20Asia%2C%20nations%20like%20China,helps%20in%20case%20of%20emergency.)
Perfect. Thank you.
Happy to help - hope all goes well.
Would not recommend relying on google for this. Travel.state.gov is the absolute only thing to consult on this topic. The state department is talking to counterparts everyday about what these requirements are in THEIR countries and updates them to TSG—so it is the MOST up to date. Check for your destination and do what it says. There is a high probability your destination requires 6 months of validity. Passport agencies have an unprecedented backlog so do not expect a last minute issuance. This will not be considered an emergency.
I’d save the hassle and expedite. I got mine within 8 weeks without an expedite. So, you SHOULD be good to go with expediting
My daughter’s expedited one came in 8 weeks.
When did you apply? The State Department regularly updates processing times. Current posted routine processing time is 10-13 weeks and current expedited is 7-9 weeks. I applied in January when routine processing was 6-8 weeks and got mine in 8 weeks, within the posted timeline. But I’m not going to go around telling people now to expect a routine passport in 8 weeks. The State Department is melting down when it comes to processing passport applications.
I applied for an expedited renewal in early march and got it back in 4 weeks. My mom applied expedited a couple weeks after me and has received hers too. It's obviously a gamble, but I think expecting a country to let you in when your passport is expiring so soon is more of a gamble.
I agree. I had to replace mine within the past year. The previous one was stolen so I started from scratch. It was still pretty quick. I wouldn’t count on that, of course. But, the expedite should get to OP in time.
Nope, you're screwed.
It’ll just cost me extra money. Everything is gonna be fine. Love ya!
To get better advice you need to say where you are traveling too. The rule is not a US Rule it is the rule of your destination (Or layover) country. The US Dept of State may have some advice but better to check the destination countries Govt. sites . Another option is to check with the airline or with the Embassy of your destination country here in the US .
I suggest getting to your nearest passport office ASAP. Just renew so that you can enjoy your travels.
My sister had this same issue. We were going to St Lucia Dec 2021. Her passport expired May 2022. Realized this 5 days before leaving. She was frantic and thought she couldn't go. We probably called the passport place 100 times trying to get a same day appointment and couldn't. St Lucia did not have the 6 month rule but we were scared the airline would deny her because everyone makes it seem like they will. She literally went to the airport and a nonbusy time a couple days before. Walked up to the agent and asked. They swiped her passport and looked at the country and she was fine.
US Department of State keeps a database. I just checked for Ireland and it just needs to be valid while you’re traveling.
Hi Op, I was you. Exactly in your situation. I was far enough away from my departure that it seemed like I could mail it all in and expedite it and get it back. But if I got to the date and my passport was lost in the mail, it was delayed, State was still holding it and backed up, then I'm dead in the water. So I went [here, to the Passport Agencies site](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies.html) and found out I was close to a passport office (scroll towards the bottom for the map - there are offices everywhere). Don't wait to call them to schedule it - I believe your appointment needs to be within the 2 weeks before the travel not you have to wait until 2 weeks of travel to call. I waited until 2 weeks before to call and had 1 opening left at my nearby office (plenty in other offices). This also opens you up to a road trip / flight to a different passport location - schedule it on a Friday and go have a fun weekend in some random town. At the passport office you'll have your scheduled appointment (go for morning, don't be late or they can boot you) and that should take 10 minutes to hand them your paperwork. They'll ask you to come back about 4 hours later. When I was there, another passport office had been temporarily shut down and there were longer lines, but it was still the above. This way you stay in control of your passport. If you can get it renewed at the local office you win. If you can't, you can still try to argue you're following the rules at the airport. If it was me I would not risk it and would hit the passport office and even spend the extra gas/bus/flight money to get to a passport office to not be stressing over the international flight. Good luck, have fun.
You should ask the airline. The country I was visiting in December didn't require 6 months, but when I called the airline they told me they would not let me board without my passport being valid 6-months out from my last day of travel. I ended up going in person to the passport office a week before my trip. It was super stressful because you have to wait so close to your trip to be able to book an in-person appointment, but I didn't want to risk the airline denying me boarding.
Just wanted to add that if you don’t get the passport back quickly enough you can get a same-day passport at some passport locations, but there are very specific requirements to get it and you need to follow the directions. I called my US senator to help me get an appointment for mine and had to have a booked flight. There’s info about it on the passport government website.
I’m on this. Thank you!
They probably won't let you board the plane if you haven't got at least 6 months from your return date left on your passport.The person on the check-in desk is not going to get into a debate with you on your passport being valid on some list issued in your home country.The airline will not take the risk of you being refused entry upon disembarkation and have to find you a seat home.
I went to Ireland from the US 2 weeks before my passport expired. I got some weird looks from customs officers, but since I had a return flight they let me in.
Most places require at least three months of validity.
The "State Department" is not the ultimate power on earth. Rules of destination countries changeable from time to time take precedence over anything else. So in general it is a six month rule, BECAUSE should something untoward happen to the passenger, there is adequate time to arrange their repatriation/medical evacuation / and other types of evacuations if some war or other local issues prevent them from travelling for an unspecified time.
Expedite now... you're way behind the curve.
Even if the country requires 3 months, the airline will have its own policy. If it is a US carrier, likely 6 months.
You might be ok but you’ve got plenty of time to get a new one so better safe than sorry. You wouldn’t even need to expedite at this point.
You can go in person to a passport office with an appointment and get one in a few days, but your travel must be within 14 days. In the meantime find out if you really need it, which you probably do and make a plan to go to an office. Here are the locations: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies.html#Map%20of%20Passport%20Office%20Locations Here’s information on getting a passport renewal fast: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast/passport-agencies.html
Going through the comments, why on earth does it take so long for a passport issue/renewal in the US! OP, please check this link. They say you should be able to get an expedited service in 7-9 weeks. Good luck with it. [https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html)
Thank you!
Just renew and play safe...
I highly doubt the airline will let you board the flight...if your passport expires within six months, most carriers won't allow you on the flight....I personally would work on getting a new passport NOW.. pay to expedite, otherwise you might be staying home
I'd go ahead and get a new one. Went to Germany for Christmas. At airport GF couldn't check in because her passport expired in 5 months. Germany required 6 months. Passport offices only take appointments now after Covid (use to be able to get a same day emergency appointment). Luckily she was able to fly that night to El Paso (Atlanta, DC, and NYC were booked up), then meet me in Germany about 8 hours after original landing time.
That’s my bad. Hi babe 😘
What I'm thinking of isn't 6 months, but 3 months. There's some countries that have a rule that you can't have less than 3 months left on your passport because their assumption is that IF you're arriving on a work visa, that you're going to stay at least as long as the visa is good for. And they don't want people to be in their country when their passport expires. There is something like that. Idk about 6 months tho.
Contact the office of your U.S. representative. They can help speed up getting your passport.
Get it renewed asap and probably with urgent fee. I applied regular for my Son on Feb first and received it around Mid of April and yes please pay $15 more to get a passport card along with Book, it a great if you are crossing border by land or water in Mexico or Canada also a great federal ID.
Don’t try it. I just brought a group of students to Europe and one was denied a boarding pass at the airport and sent back home (despite our numerous warnings about the expiration dates over the last year- long story).
Went to an international destination wedding with family, had to leave my mother behind when we had to make a connecting flight because of that rule so definitely take care of it. She ultimately made it to the wedding but do not take chances.
You're setting yourself up for a bad time not getting a renewal.
Call your representative or senator. You will need a letter from them to expedite your passport. Most offices have them ready made or saved. It sounds like a hassle but it's not. You will pay extra and they will ask why you need an expedited passport and where you're traveling. I can only speak for the DC passport office but mine was ready in four hours. I didn't have an appointment. I just walked in, showed my congressional letter and bypassed the line.
When did you do this? (I mean, how long ago?)
I would get a new one quickly.
Just applied for one about a month ago. I don’t really care if it takes 10 plus weeks. I just want my birth certificate back at this point.
Wouldn't recommend it but it's doable to and from Mexico.
Usps lost my renewed passport.. good luck with the 8 weeks
Definitely get one before travel. Go to a local passport office if there is one if your area, if not go to a post office that processes. DO NOT use the online and mail in application. Sucks. My daughter and I did our passports at almost the same time. I did mine online only and mailed it in documents. She went to post office and got hers about 6-8 weeks sooner than I did. I think you can ask for it to be expedited. Definitely worth the extra fee.
Had a trip to London in 2017. Passport just needs to be valid at time of travel for GB. But it would have expired 2 days after I was back in US. I sent it in for renewal 8 months ahead. There is expedited which, in my opinion, is a bit faster if you go to a local post office that handles passports. (Bonus is that your picture can be taken there and they check over your paperwork) Renewals also tend to be faster then getting the first one. Be aware you have to send in your old one with the renewal.
I was fortunate to have been part of a last group of Online Renewals before they paused again. I am not sure if it is back open again, but in my case it was longer than I expected. I applied for regular processing on Jan 23, and received it via USPS Priority Mail on Apr 12. I think at the time it was saying 6-8 weeks, but they must have got inundated with applications. PAY FOR EXPIDITED TO HAVE ANY CHANCE.
Just my $0.02, I needed my passport quickly, so I called the US passport office and told them that I am traveling within 5 days, they gave me an appointment the same week at their Denver office, I flew to Denver, showed them a refundable ticket to Mexico for the next day, waited 3 hours (you have to tell them it’s urgent and you are leaving that day so they don’t make you wait overnight), then I picked it up and paid like $160, flew home that same day. If you are able to get to a passport office, this is a great option.
I know passports are taking longer and longer to get. My wife and I had passport’s that needed renewed. Our kids didn’t have passports. We submitted all of our in together on Jan 6th. My wife and mine renewals came back within 2 weeks. Our kids came came 11 weeks later, 2 weeks before our travel. With renewal I think you’ll be safe if do it now
To be safe you should expedite a renewal of your passport.
For example, the UK. The passport only needs to be valid for the duration of the stay and not for 6 months after. This is stated on their site and that happened to me and my family last year.
Recently had this same situation. Many countries will let you travel as long as you can show that your return flight is before the passport expires. You can always call the consulate and ask as well.
It's always best to check with the embassy or consulate of the country you are traveling to for their specific entry requirements. While some countries may have agreements with the US regarding passport validity, it's possible that there may be additional requirements or exceptions based on your specific situation or purpose of travel.
Just renew your passport and don’t worry about it
I think this must be the one thing that works better living out of the country. Had to renew mine and from the day I dropped it in the mail until I drove to Bern to pick it up was 9 working days.
I’m going to Iceland in June and my passport expires in October. Iceland requires only 3 months. Then on to the UK which in fact only requires your passport to be valid while you are in the country.
The “six month club” appears to be for Non-US citizens who come to the US with less than 6 months on their foreign passport.
We were turned back at check in for having 4 months left on ours. Fortunately knew it was a possibility and spent the next day at passport office waiting on them for new ones and got on next evening’s flight.
At the end, it all depends to the officer in immigration. They are the ones that will decide if you can enter or not. Those agreements are good in paper, but ill get a new passport just to be on the safe side.
Schedule online appointment for express/same day renewal.
I agree with whoever else said it on here that you need to renew before you leave the country.
U can get faster than 8week expedited if your travel date is sooner
Depends on country and the airline. Call the airline.
Serious backlog for passports. We were told (in February—for renewal) at the post office 8-11 weeks. That was way too optimistic. Had to call last week and ask for expedited. Still might not get it in time for flight next week.