There is no single rule for how long your passport must be valid for. The length of time your passport will be valid for will depend on your destination, and even when you travel to different countries within one region your passport could be accepted for some of them but not others.
Why There’s No Single Rule
Each country has its own list of entry requirements and these can differ even for neighbouring countries. Spain wants something from you that Turkey wants in return. The requirements for Thailand or the USA may also differ significantly from those for Spain or Turkey. These requirements are listed on the government’s foreign travel advice pages for countries you are planning to travel to. Do not assume the requirements for last year’s foreign holiday will be the same this year for foreign destinations.
The Spain Rule: Ten Years Plus Three Months
The Spanish government also states in their current passport validity requirements that there is a rule for the passport’s validity for entry into Spain. This consists of two parts: 1) the passport must have been issued less than 10 years prior to the date of entry into Spain, and 2) the passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the date of exit from Spain.
Turkey’s 150-Day Rule
For Turkey your passport must be valid for at least 150 days from date of entry. Therefore even if your passport is due to expire months after your return date, it may still not be considered valid for travel to Turkey. In addition, your passport should contain at least one spare page for entries/stamps.
Thailand’s Six-Month Rule
In terms of validity for travel to Thailand, you will need to have at least six months validity from your date of arrival into Thailand. In addition to this, there must be at least one blank page left in your passport for entry/exit stamps. As an example of how validity can differ from country to country, even when within the same region, a passport that just makes it for travel to Turkey may not be sufficient for travel to Thailand and vice versa.
The USA Rule: Valid for Your Stay
A passport to travel to the USA is valid for travel as long as it is valid for your stay. Therefore, a passport due to expire in a few months may be OK for travel to the USA but not for other countries. For example, if you have a connecting flight through another country and are passing through the airport, you will need to check the requirements for that country also. A passport that is sufficient for travel to the USA may not be sufficient for travel through another country.
The Pre-2018 Renewal Trap
This means that, prior to October 2018, HM Passport Office had allowed up to 9 months of unused validity from your previous passport to be ‘carried forward’ and included within the new passport’s expiry date. The only date that matters is the Issue Date.
A Worked Example
Take a recently renewed passport, printed with a 2027 expiry date. This would be perfectly sufficient for travel to New York in late 2026. A passport issued in September 2016 for travel to Spain in November 2016 would be another example of this. Here the passport is valid for travel to Spain. However the fact that it was issued more than 10 years prior to travel means that it fails the first Schengen condition for use, regardless of its printed expiry date.
Checking Your Own Passport
To complete this check for your own passport, you simply need to find the ‘issue date’ and ‘expiry date’ on your personal details page and then work out your planned arrival and departure dates for your flight. For each of the countries listed above you then apply the conditions set out above for each country. Remember that these conditions need to be met by you prior to your flight booking and NOT at check-in. A fast-track renewal could cost you dear.
How the Four Rules Compare
Destination | Rule | Extra requirement
Spain (Schengen) | Issued less than 10 years before arrival, AND valid at least 3 months after the day you leave | None Turkey | Valid at least 150 days after the day you arrive | At least 1 blank page Destination | Rule | Extra requirement
Thailand | Valid at least 6 months after the day you arrive | At least 1 blank page USA Rule for Passport: Valid for Your Stay
The two conditions need to be checked for all Schengen countries, including Spain. It’s easiest to check all four conditions for all destinations before you book your flights. For most passports the Spain rule will be the most likely to cause problems.
