Why do countries require validity of 6 months for passports? [closed]

Many countries require a passport to be valid for six months. Sometimes these six months are counted from the date of departure, or from the date of entrance. Even though some of these countries only legally allow you to stay for 30 days or three months. What is the reason such a requirement is in place in many countries?

Best Answer

It's just a technicality, I really don't see how it puts an approved destination country in any kind of real jeopardy. When you have a passport expire while abroad you don't magically turn into a different person or a criminal. It's just a paperwork bs technicality based on nonsense laws.

If your passport does or will expire during your trip, you usually have access to consular services or an embassy from your country which will be able to help you. Yes it's a hassle, yes it's expensive. But how many times has this occurred in the past to have these laws put in place? How many times has this happened vs the number of visitors in a year? A more realistic rule would be that your passport has to be valid for double your length of anticipated stay or a minimum of 30 days. If I'm going to Vegas for three days, it's unrealistic in my opinion to demand my passport be valid for six months.

Some domestic air carriers used to or still do accept expired documents as valid id. You are still the same person you were last week when your passport was not expired. Having passports expire any sooner than 10 years is a money making scam in my opinion. Some countries have 20 year passports (I guess 19.5 according to some places) and it works well for them. I'm not happy that our five year passports are actually four and a half year passports.

I posed your question to our local passport office a few years ago as I had the same concerns and questions. My above response, in part, was the gist of our conversation. When I emailed them, I got a totally different response.

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What happens if your passport is not valid for 6 months?

Yes, you will be denied entry abroad if your passport is about to expire. Additionally, if you need a visa, you won't receive one with a passport with a validity of less than six (sometimes three) months. For this reason, you have to make sure that your passport is up-to-date before you travel.

Does passport have to be valid for 6 months?

As a general rule, passports must be valid for six months beyond the date the traveler will exit the United States. However, the United States has signed agreements with a number of countries to waive this requirement.

6 Month Passport Validity Rule | Can I travel with less than 6 months left on my passport?

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