Bulgarian passport expires two months after return date, will I have a problem traveling from US through Germany to Bulgaria?
I am flying from San Francisco to Bulgaria through Frankfurt and Munich in a few days. I hold a green card and I am a Bulgarian citizen. I just found out about the 3 month passport expiration date rule. My Bulgarian passport expires 2 months after return date. Since I am a EU citizen, does that rule apply? Am I going to have problems passing through Germany or even in San Francisco? I was planning on renewing my passport in Bulgaria.
Best Answer
No, the rule does not apply to you and you can do this trip on your current passport.
The rule defined in the Schengen Borders Code is for third-country (i.e. not EU/EEA/Swiss) nationals. You are protected by the EU freedom of movement and only need a valid ID (not even necessarily a passport).
Incidentally, third-country nationals are generally required to have a travel document valid three months after the intended end of their stay in the Schengen area but that makes no sense for you as you have a right to stay in Bulgaria (or even in Germany, with a few caveats) as long as you like.
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Can I still travel if my passport expires in 2 months?
Answer: Your passport is valid until the date of expiration. The only problem may be the entry requirements of the country or countries you plan to visit. Many countries require your passport have 3 to 6 months validity remaining before they will allow you to enter or issue a travel visa.Can I travel back to my country if my passport is expired?
The short answer is \u201cno,\u201d at least not if you're traveling out of the country. An expired passport is simply not acceptable for international travel. If your passport is expired or is expiring within the next 6 months, you need to renew your passport.Can you travel to Bulgaria with expired passport?
Passport validity Your passport must be: Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the 'date of issue') valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the 'expiry date')Can I travel back to my country if my passport expired 1 month before the expiration date?
No, you can't travel back to your country on an expired passport if your passport expires while you're away. In fact, if your passport is due to expire before the return flight to your country, you won't be allowed to enter the country that you're visiting in the first place.Can you travel with a passport that expires in 2 months?
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Answer 2
My wife (Bulgarian and US citizen) traveled from the US to Sofia via Frankfurt last year when her BG passport was already expired. In Frankfurt she used her US passport and in Bulgaria they accepted her expired passport along with a valid BG national identity card, no problems at all. She renewed her passport while in Bulgaria.
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