The summer travel season is almost upon us, which means it’s time to start preparing for your upcoming trip abroad. You need to make sure your travel documents, including any visas and passports, are up to date.
An expired passport means you won’t be able to travel abroad unless you renew it. Depending on the country you’re traveling to, you might also be required to update your passport if it expires within 6 months of your departure date.
The reason that these countries have this 6-month rule is to prevent you from overstaying and being unable to travel home from your trip. When this happens, the only way you’ll be able to return to the United States is through emergency travel documents.
These are the countries that have this 6-month validity agreement with the United States:
- Afghanistan
- Indonesia
- Samoa
- Algeria
- Iran
- Saudi Arabia
- Anguilla
- Iraq
- Singapore
- Bahrain
- Israel
- Solomon Islands
- Bhutan
- Jordan
- Somalia
- Botswana
- Kenya
- Somaliland
- British Virgin Islands
- Kiribati
- Sri Lanka
- Brunei
- Laos
- Sudan
- Cambodia
- Madagascar
- Suriname
- Cameroon
- Malaysia
- Taiwan
- Cayman Islands
- Marshall Islands
- Tanzania
- Central African Republic
- Micronesia
- Thailand
- Chad
- Myanmar
- Timor-Leste
- Comoros
- Namibia
- Tokelau
- Côte D’Ivoire
- Nicaragua
- Tonga
- Curacao
- Nigeria
- Tuvalu
- Ecuador
- Oman
- Uganda
- Egypt
- Palau
- United Arab Emirates
- El Salvador
- Papua New Guinea
- Vanuatu
- Equatorial Guinea
- Philippines
- Venezuela
- Fiji
- Qatar
- Vietnam
- Gabon
- Rwanda
- Yemen
- Guinea Bissau
- Saint Lucia
- Zimbabwe
- Guyana
Other countries like South Africa, Hong Kong, Germany, and Spain have shorter validity requirements. Most of them have a 3-month passport validity that begins when a person arrives. Bermuda is one of the few countries with the shortest validity rule, because it allows passport holders to visit as long as their expiration date is 45 days after they arrive.
If you’re unsure about the entry requirements of the country you’re visiting, it never hurts to double check or renew your passport if it expires within a year.
To learn more about passport requirements, renewing your passport, and a country’s passport validity rules, visit the U.S. Department of State’s website.
Applying For A New Passport? Obtain Vital Documents From WSCE
At West Suburban Currency Exchange, we can help you out with more than your foreign currency needs. Instead of taking time off in order to travel to your country clerk’s office, you can stop by any of our 26 locations seven days per week. Our staff members will be more than happy to help you get a copy of your birth certificate and other vital documents that are needed to apply for a new passport.
Whether you’re seeking check cashing services in nearby Naperville, IL, or exchanging currency before you fly out of O’hare International Airport, West Suburban Currency Exchange is here to help you.
Visit our locations near Naperville or call us at (847) 299-3100 for more information.
