Help for US passport holder
 

Emergency query, sorry if asked already. My son has flight to Peru at 12:30 Sunday, less than 4 hrs from now. Just discovered his passport expires Feb 17, 2015. Will he still be able to enter country? Most countries require 6 months validity but the only thing we found when searching for answer is "valid passport at time of entry"?

You do know that you can schedule an emergency in-person appointment at one of the PP Agency and still get it back in time?

Flight in today, in 3+ hrs. so nothing to do now.

We just cancelled booking and made PP agency appointment for Jan 21st, Wed to get 24 hr turn-around. He'll pay the penalties and fly out next weekend (and learn a lesson ;) ).

Thanks.

Your son will be okay as long as he departs Peru before his passport expires since Peru is a member of the "6 month club."

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/det...chine-readable)

Although the page above is supposed to be for visitors to the US, the agreement is reciprocal.

- Sorry, couldn't sign up for the forum fast enough to answer your question in time!

As things turned out, roads shut down due to ice, many flights cancelled already so no penalty for his change of itinerary to next weekend. In meantime he'll get expedite renewal of passport this week.

Thanks to all.

As an FYI to others....

You should call your local state senator or congresspersons office in this situation. Many have a special desk/person to handle this.

I had an issue with a family members expired passport. [massive roll eyes...I TOLD you to check it!!!] Called the office- they asked for two things: make an appointment on line, any appointment at all. Fill out this form letter that essentially says "i give you permission to speak to Department of State on my behalf" and fax it back to me ASAP. (Next available online appt was the week we were due to return.)

That afternoon we got a call saying "show up at the SFO passport office tomorrow before 12noon with photos and the completed application. They will have a renewal done by the end of the day (4PM or so) you can pick it up.

It was shockingly good service from an elected official. Utterly shocking.

;)

Nice to know about calling our state rep.
My son discovered his passport was expired the evening before his trip to Mexico for a bachelor party. He was able to make an appt at the passport office in Philly. He lives in NYC.
The next morning, he took an early train to Philly, had a 30 minute delay midway because someone was walking on the tracks and arrived at the passport office late for his appt.
He spoke to the counter person, explained his situation and said his flight was to leave in 2 hours from Philly. There were lots of people sitting waiting. Just as he was going to sit down, his name was called, he submitted all his documents, and he was out of the office with a brand new passport in 35 minutes.
I am sure he had to pay dearly for a change in ticket but he learned a lesson.

A friend of mine (US citizen) is coming to Lima today. He’s already flying to Fort Lauderdale, to get the (Spirit) connection flight to Lima at 5pm. He is coming for 5 days, but just realized his passport expires on jan. 13.

I understand there is no passport issuing office in Fort Lauderdale airport.

Peru gov. page indicates that it is mandatory to have a passport with a minimum validity of six months, as most countries require. He wants to risk taking the FLL-LIM flight anyway, though I warned he could have problems arriving at Lima, if they let him enter the plane. His wife is already here in Lima, and called the embassy for help. They told her if he has any problems when he arrives (11 pm), he should call the emergency phone, they answer 24x7.

Does anybody have any experience with a similar situation? Has anybody called that embassy emergency number? Any advise?

They will likely not let him board in FLL. If they did (and he is not allowed in), they will be responsible for the costs of watching him in LIM and sending him back to the USA.

There ***IS** a passport office in MIA, right? I would get on a phone with your state rep, try and get into the passport office tomorrow AM. Yes, it will be costly: transport to and from FLL to MIA and a changed ticket....

Actually I would have done this the instant I realize the passport was a problem...not waste half a day

So, what happened to your friend - did he make the flight to Peru?

Yes, I warned him but he traveled anyway. They shouldn't have let him get on the plane to Lima, apparently Spirit is not very disciplined in its .controls. It was a complete nightmare cause that flight had a 6 hours delay, so he arrived at 5 am yesterday. And they didn't let him in, they detained him at immigration area. After 2 hours the US embassy answered him and they could help him if he sent his passport and a form filled out and signed, so he could get immediately a new passport. His wife could do so, but the problem was that she obviously could not enter the international area of ​​the terminal, where my friend was being held.

It would have been resolved if someone had taken those documents from that area to the hall where his wife was waiting, but neither the Immigration people agreed to do so, nor the only Spirit person who was at the airport that morning. My friend said he really felt like he was being treated like a criminal (ugly atittude, they followed him everywhere, they did not accept to help him in anything), and the Spirit staff at both the call center and the airport were not friendly at all. It seems they just wanted to put him on a return flight anyway and asap, which he did at 2 pm, because since he couldn't send the documents to the embassy, ​​he couldn't do anything else.

He took the risk to come anyway cause at his stop in FLL he could have gone to the Miami passports office, but that meant to loose the flight and changing it costed $900, or so he told me. He is already back at home. He is very upset, we talked today. It was not the momento tell him "I warned you", but we will talk more calmly in a few days.

I have heard the airline can be fined for letting him travel ($10,000, I don't know if it's true).

Thanks for letting us know. A touchpoint and useful information for others who might find themselves in a similar situation.

It is indeed unfortunate no-one would help him get his documents to his wife and to the embassy.