Less Than 6 Month Validity Passport For SIN Entry?

Was wondering if anyone had any experiences in trying to enter SIN with less than 6 months on the passport.

Someone I know has 5.5 months left, but needs to get there urgently, probably will fly in (and out quickly) on 9w...

Wondering if the airline would issue a ticket itself with less than 6 months left on the passport..??

Any airline would issue you a ticket (on a website or any travel site) and clearly take your money.

The question would be whether they would let you board or not!

Yeah which airline asks for your passport expiry? I have yet to come across one so far.

SFB Its a tricky one. You will most likely be denied boarding. Last week at DEL they were off loading a guy while I was checking in for a flight to BKK. He had been checked in and was turned back at immigration due to his passport not having 6 months validity.

The answer, based on the personal experience of a friend of mine and fellow FTer is a RESOUNDING NO!
You will - in all liklihood - be denied boarding and have to deal with the headaches of getting a new passport.

NOT worth the trouble.

Dave

+1

I, indeed, know the answer to this one.

DO NOT, repeat, DO NOT try to get into Singapore with less than 6months left on your passport!!!

United issued me and my wife a ticket. However, when we got to the airport to go, they would not let us on the plane. In fact, we couldn't even get past the check in desk. I demanded to see a supervisor, and again was told that we were SOL.

So unless United is just a stickler about this, I wouldn't even try it...on any airline!

We were able to get new passports the same day...not an easy proposition, but still missed the flight. We were booked the next day, and did complete the trip, but I can categorically tell you that at least UA will not let you on the plane, unless there is 6 months left on your passport as of the return date.

Good luck. But get a renewed passport...it will save you much grief.

wwbgd

These must be recent reports - the reason I asked is because we were flying into SIN on *SQ* itself some years ago, and upon landing in SIN, the immigration officials at Changi noted my daughter's passport was within the 6 month expiration period that they stipulate.

We then were directed to senior officials who then allowed her to stay for the time period we were there. (We were only visiting at that time)

They could just easily have booted your daughter and would have been within their rights to do so. Just because they exercised good judgement/compassion once is no guarantee that the same would be done so again. If the situation was avoidable, why push your luck? Banking on exceptions is not a recommended option when it comes to stuff like passports and immigration.

Technically speaking, at time of check-in, your passport is checked for validity/expiration. Some airlines do it better than others.

My wife had same issue two years ago, checked in at JFK, boarded flight to Seoul. Several days later, at Incheon airport, when checking in to fly to Taiwan, was denied because this time they did check. Fortunately we know folks in Taiwan and had it resolved. But she could not continue onto to Singapore until she got a replacement passport in Taiwan at AIT.

Back to OP's question - it's both whether Singapore Airlines will let you check in/board, and if they do, when your land, will immigration let you enter. Lot's of 'ifs'....

I know WWBGD and remember when he got denied boarding in the incident with United Airlines check-in. It's always a gamble when airline staff try to assess your documents that they will refuse to check you in. This is what happened in that situation.

However, I have personally entered Singapore with less than 6 months validity on my passport a couple of times, the last time was in 2009. I'll explain what I did in anticipation of my arrival, but in the end all the extra foot work was wasted. A printout of my hotel bookings and departing ticket was all that was required for Singapore Immigration to stamp me in.

Unneeded legwork:
On a previous trip through Changi airport, I went down and spoke to an Immigration supervisor (on the side counter of the arrivals hall before you cross through immigration. My questions were similar to those stated above, that on a future visit I would be under 6 months validity. They seemed puzzled and unprepared to deal with me or answer questions, but did give me an email address for Singapore Immigration that they promised me would. My emails to them were never acknowledged or replied to. I decided to go anyway.

Arrival:
I did a printout of my hotel booking and ticket onward, flew over, and approached the immigration official as normal. Glancing at my passport, he noticed the short expiry and looked up questioningly. I didn't even wait for his question, jumping in with "I am staying at the XXXX (hotel) and have my ticket home in 3 days! They're here on printouts, if you'd like to see them!"

He thought for about 2 seconds and then just stamped me in. Next in line was his final motion to me.

A non event. Maybe the airlines are worried about protecting themselved, but the country's officials can and will weigh each situation on its own.

If it is urgent your friend should try to get an emergency passport (if possible).

My girlfriend is now on her way over the Atlantic to BKK with only 3 months left on her passport.

She has a Brazilian passport, and her itinerary is GRU-FRA-IST-BKK.

She is flying First Class all the way. (Exept FRA-IST in biz.) She was allowed boarding in GRU, but was warned that she might not get all the way. It is a miles redeption flight on US Airways miles, so changing the flight after check-in was not an option. The stay in BKK is only 2 weeks, and she has hotel booking and return ticket (on TG F). Does anyone know from similar experience if she has a chance of entering Thailand? Or even past IST or FRA?

She assumed that they let her board in GRU since she was flying First Class. Any idea if that will be of help for the rest of the trip?

Also, Brazil has some special immigration agreement with Thailand, allowing them to stay for 90 days instead of 30 days. Maybe that will be of help?

If anyone here have any advice, know someone, or have a super-mega-crisis-hotline numer to call if she gets denied boarding/entry, I would be extremely grateful!

Cheers!

In my experience Thailand immigration doesn't really care about passport validity, and even if they ask the return flight should be enough. The hard part will be convincing the airline(s?) to let her board.

At check-in to BKK recently a person was denied boarding as he didn't have the necessary paperwork for the hotel stay upon arrival. Not sure if this helps you.