My kid’s passport expires in October, and we’ll be home from our US holiday early August. I’ve heard people saying that you need 6 months of passport validity, or enough to cover your potential visa duration.

However, the Home Office site says it’s ok to travel to the US as long as your passport is valid for the duration of your trip.

Anyone got direct experience of doing this?

The home office should have it right. You could phone the US embassy if you’re not sure.

Better to apply for a renewal now, to be doubly safe. Sometimes airlines are overly picky about passport dates.

I’ve been to the US with less than six months left on my passport. from memory it was about a month. I think the US immigration fella pointed it out but seeing as I was leaving again two days later it wasn’t an issue.

If we apply for a renewal we’ll be £80 out of pocket and might end up with no passport at all 🙂

Sound about right, But you can always apply.

Only thing is don’t leave it to late, being there is a mass back log of issuing Passports
at the moment.

I’ve got the same issue with my lads passport, although we are going to France and Spain in August. His PP runs out in September, but apparently for France and Spain you only need it to be valid for the duration of your stay as well.

Passport office apparently has a back log at the moment so we’re not gonna risk renewing it till we get back.

However, the Home Office site says it’s ok to travel to the US as long as your passport is valid for the duration of your trip.

given im sweating about getting my passport back in time to go, i bloody hope not (expires in november, going to spain in 2.5 weeks, canada in 7 weeks)

Sometimes airlines are overly picky about passport dates.

i thought that the US required 3 months on passport to enter and that airline will refuse to board you – I’d pay £xxxx,000/min on the phone to get airline to confirm they will let you board

There are big delays with passport applications at the moment, if you need to renew.

I thought there was a minimum requirement on passport for the states too.

times change so my post above may be wrong looks like e-passports rock

http://london.usembassy.gov/niv/vwp.html

and this page http://london.usembassy.gov/niv/mrp_bio.html

vwp = visa waiver program and my reading is that if have an e passport then are ok even if expires during your trip (sort of)

This was the original page I saw

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/entry-requirements

But just found this

http://www.usembassy.org.uk/visaservices/?p=485

Which backs up the HO page.. phew. Looks like we get special treatment. Maybe this is a more recent thing.

As above you’ll be fine, you can be proactive and tell the immigration officer that the validity is October but your only staying till August.

Given the passport office delays I would not send in an application for a renewal prior to your trip.

Moses – Member

Better to apply for a renewal now, to be doubly safe. Sometimes airlines are overly picky about passport dates.

I think there is a massive backlog for new or renewal passport at the moment so better do it asap.

Despite dire headlines in certain “newspapers” 97% of all renewals are being turned around in 3 weeks and 98% in 4 weeks

As long as its a straightforward renewal I’d be getting it changed

The “6 months left” date kicked in during a trip to Oz with the kids once, was questioned about it at a flight change in amsterdam – but on the return flight I got “fined” £90 whilst stopping over in Bali – was when you could still have kids on your passport, so worked out cheaper than getting individual visas for the kids anyway 🙂

US just require a valid passport (to the date of you leaving).

I’ve obviously spent waay too much time in US passport queues

As above, as long as you are entering as a British national on their Visa Waiver Program (VWP), i.e. on a tourist visa, which includes the ESTA, then you only need the passport to cover your intended period of stay. A return flight ticket will be enough if this is questioned at immigration.

Sometimes airlines are overly picky about passport dates.

Airlines are under strict rules to only fly people out if they have a good chance of being let in. It makes sense when the deportation/repatriation cost can be charged to the airline if they didn’t follow procedure.

If the airline question the duration of the passport, just politely ask them to “check TIMATIC”. It’s the IATA’s list of all visa requirements which the airlines stick to and it confirms the above.

Thanks folks. Apparently my wife’s (American) passport application is not being processed because the photo is the wrong size.. Bollocks…

I went to the US last year with only a month or so to run. So long as your passport is valid for the duration of your stay it’s fine.

I printed out the FCO advice & check in did make a call to confirm, but no problem.