Can I travel to Portugal with 5 1/2 months remaining on my passport?

Question: I previously asked if I could travel to Spain with five and half months of validity left on my passport instead of six. I received a reply that Spain only requires 3 months, so I should be fine.

I forgot to mention that I will be renting a car while in Spain and plan on driving into Portugal. Will I be able to do this as well without any problems due to my passport?


Answer: Both Spain and Portugal are party to the Schengen Agreement so the entry requirements are the same. The State Department states, "Although European Union regulations require that non-EU visitors obtain a stamp in their passports upon initial entry to a Schengen country, many borders are not staffed with officers carrying out this function. If you want to be sure your entry is properly documented, you must ask for a stamp at an official point of entry. Without the stamp, you may be questioned and asked to prove how long you have been staying in Schengen countries when you leave."

Do I need to renew my passport before my trip?

Question: My U.S. passport will expire on Feb 19 next year. I'm planning a trip to Hong Kong, China. Can I depart on Nov 20 this year and return on Dec 14? During my trip in Hong Kong, can I also travel to Taiwan or South Korea for 3-4 days?

Answer: To enter Hong Kong, you will need a passport that is valid for at least one month beyond the date of your intended stay, adequate funds to cover your stay without working locally, and evidence of onward/return transportation. You do not need a visa for tourist visits of up to 90 days.

As a U.S. passport holder, you will be allowed to enter Taiwan without a visa for up to 90 days (no extensions permitted) as long as you have a passport valid for the duration of your stay.

You must have a passport to enter Republic of Korea. As long as you have a valid U.S. passport, you can enter the county without a visa for a stay of up to 90 days if you are a tourist or if you are in the Republic of Korea on business.

Therefore, you can visit Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea with your current passport.

Passport expiration date is very near

Question: My US passport will expire in 3 months. I will travel to Trinidad & Tobago (via Miami) from the Dominican Republic in the first week of January.

Will I be prohibited from flying because an official in the Dominican Republic or Miami or Trinidad & Tobago states that my passport is too close to its expiry date?

Another question: Does the US Embassy in Trinidad & Tobago have a passport services office?

Additional comments: (1)Within a day of my arrival in Port of Spain, Trinidad in early January, I would apply for a new passport via the US Embassy's passport services office, if one exists. (2) I prefer NOT to request a new passport in the Dominican Republic. I live far from the US Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and will avoid driving there if at all possible. It is costly and time-consuming plus there are traffic snarls galore and they all drive me nuts.

Answer: Trinidad & Tobago requires U.S. citizens to have passports valid for at least 6 months or for the duration of his/her stay in the country. Depending on how long you plan to stay in Trinidad & Tobago, you may need to renew your passport before your trip.

In case you need to renew your passport before you enter Trinidad & Tobago, you have two options. One, you can apply for the renewal in the Dominican Republic. Two, you can apply for an expedited passport renewal at the Miami Passport Agency if you have a layover of a couple of days.

Passport Renewals in the Dominican Republic

While the majority of applicants are required to schedule an appointment and personally visit the U.S. embassy in Santo Domingo, some renewal applicants do not require an interview and qualify for passport drop-off or mail-in service. To see if you qualify for this convenient and expedited service, contact the embassy.

Passport renewals may also be accepted at the U.S. Consular Agency in Puerto Plata. If renewing your passport in Puerto Plata is more convenient, then contact them.

Passport Renewal in Miami

You might be able to obtain same day passport renewal at the Miami agency. You would need to call and schedule an appointment ahead of time. Besides the renewal fee, you would be required to pay an additional fee for expedited service. For more information, visit the Miami Passport Agency page. Any problems with the application, photo or other required documents could cause delays. If you do not want to take this risk, apply for the passport renewal in the Dominican Republic.

Can I travel to Nicaragua if my passport has than 6 months validity?

by Lily
(SF, CA)

Question: I want to be in Nicaragua from Feb 1-28, and then return to the US. But, my passport will expire on March 15th. It would be valid for my entire stay in Nicaragua but I definitely don't have 6 months before it expires. Will I have problems? Can I go? Some sites seem to say that Nicaragua requires 6 months, yours says no. Which is it? Thanks.

Answer: Although the United States has a bilateral agreement with Nicaragua that waives the six-month validity passport requirement, U.S. citizens should ensure that their passports are valid for the length of their projected stay in the country before exiting the United States.

U.S. citizens are required to have an onward or return ticket and proof of sufficient funds to support themselves during their stay. A visa is not required for U.S. citizens; however, a tourist card must be purchased for $10 upon arrival. Tourist cards are typically issued for 30 to 90 days.

Can I visit the Canary Islands if my passport expires in 4 months?

by Emma
(Blackburrn)

Question: I have only 4 months left on my passport and am due to go on holiday in the next couple of days for a week. Will I be able to go to the Canary Islands or will I be sent back?

Answer: The Canary Islands are a territory of Spain and, therefore, you must abide by the entry requirements for that country.

Spain is a party to the Schengen agreement. As such, U.S. citizens may enter Spain for up to 90 days for tourism or business purposes without a visa.

Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. For further details about travel into and within Schengen countries, please see our Schengen Fact Sheet.

Since you will depart next week for a one-week stay on the Canary Islands, it appears that your passport will have approximately three months validity upon your return to the U.S. You need to verify this.

If your passport will have less than three months of validity remaining, then you need to renew it quickly. With such a short time to do this, you only have two options.

One, personally schedule and appointment and submit your renewal application at a regional passport agency. Two, authorize a professional expediter to submit your application for emergency passport renewal.

Do passports need to be valid for 6 months for trip to Spain?

by MJ
(Chicago)

Question: I am a teacher traveling with students to Spain in March/April. Do all passports need to be valid for 6 months beyond our stay?

Answer: Spain is party to the Schengen Agreement and, as such, requires all visitors to possess passports with at least three (3) months of validity beyond the proposed stay in the country.

Anyone whose passport does not presently meet this requirement should apply for a renewal. Since your trip is not until March of next year, there is plenty of time. Routine processing takes 4-6 weeks.

For complete details of the passport renewal processing, click the link below.

How to Renew a Passport