Don’t get caught out by this passport rule
You’ve packed your bags, triple-checked you have your money, passport and other travel documents, and you’re feeling excited and confident. You’re about to go on holiday! But, you could be in for a nasty surprise when you get to the check-in counter if you're not aware of this passport rule.
When we see our passport’s expiry, we could be forgiven for thinking that the date presented is, in fact, the expiry date. What you may not know is that many countries have a rule where your passport needs to be valid for three to six months after the date you intend to leave the country.
This is, in most cases, to ensure if travellers decide to stay a little longer or get held up, there’s not an extra drama when leaving the country.
For travel to Europe, it’s a general rule that your passport needs to be valid for three months after your intended date of departure and for Australia, it’s six months.
The same goes for the United States, where your passport must be valid for six months after your intended departure date.
Well before your holiday, find out how many months your country of destination requires your passport to be valid for after your intended departure date. Otherwise, you may find yourself getting stopped at customs and having your holiday potentially ruined.
This article originally appeared on Starts at 60.
