Homer15

We are planning a trip later this year at time when one member of the family will have just under 6 months of validity left on his passport and I am trying to figure out if we need to renew that passport before we go.

We will have roundtrip tickets to leave the Schengen area with around 5 months left on his passport which I would think would be enough but the US State Dept. suggests that some countries may take the position that since US citizens can stay 3 months without a visa, they will stay 3 months, and therefore can be denied entry if they do not have a passport valid for 6 months from entry.

Anyone have any idea whether: 1) State Dept. is being overly cautious; 2) State Dept. is generally right, but if we have purchased tickets showing we will leave Schengen to go back to the US with more than 3 months remaining on the passport that is a sufficient insurance policy (especially as we are pretty close to having 6 months validity); or 3) we should just renew to be on the safe side.

If it matters, it's our minor child with the expiring passport (so I am not inclined to renew early unless I have to, since it's a pain and we might be able to avoid another passport renewal as a minor if I hold off another year)-- not sure if that would affect the likelihood of a immigration agent taking a hard line with the family or not.

Doc Savage

Is it worth worrying about it if you have plenty of time to renew before the trip? You would likely be ok, but all it takes is one ignorant airline employee or immigration official to cause huge headaches.

Aviatrix

For entry into Schengen non-EU passports need to be valid three months beyond the date of intended departure - not five, not six.

Do you have return tickets that show your date of intended departure? In that case I can't see how there can possibly be a problem. Schengen Immigration officers know their own rules. Airlines employees have TIMATIC.

Homer15

Thanks. That's what I was hoping.

asarma

The official line is that "visitors’ passports be valid for at least three months beyond the intended date of departure " but as you have probably seen from this page http://travel.state.gov/content/pass...act-sheet.html there are a lot of "ifs"... But you are traveling back with nearly 5 months on the passport, and you have proof of return tickets, plus I assume all the other members of the party have more than six months on their passports. The US gov is always highly cautious. You will most likely have no problems at all.

lakers6902

Was this already tried and tested? I assume not considering this was only posted in January.

I'm in a similar situation. Leaving in two weeks to BRU for a week and my passport expires in July. Really don't want to the expedited fee...

Aviatrix

Schengen never had a six months rule. Schengen used to have a "duration of intended stay" rule which, a couple of years ago, got changed to "three months past duration of intended stay".

If the rules had been changed the other way round (from six months to three months, or from three months to duration of intended stay) then I could understand people worrying, and asking if this had been "tried and tested" - as it often takes a while before rules filter through into the heads of those tasked with enforcing them. But seeing the new three-months rule is a tightening-up, not a relaxation, of previous rules I really don't understand people's worries.