Guide to the 6-month passport rule — what is it?
Editor's Note
Quick summary
If you have an upcoming international trip, you need to check — and double check — your passport's expiration date. Even if your passport doesn't expire for several months, entry requirements differ from country to country.
Most countries require at least six months of passport validity to grant a traveler entry. You may think you're safe because your trip is in a month, and your passport doesn't expire for five — but depending on where you plan to go, you may be wrong.
If you're in the middle of planning 2025 travel, or simply want to know the ideal time to begin getting ready to renew your passport, the TPG team has you covered.
Related: Can you renew online? Yes, you can: Online passport renewal is now widely available
We've collected information from the U.S. Department of State website to create a one-stop cheat sheet examining a range of nations that typically require you to have a passport that lasts longer than your trip — whether by one, three or six months.
If you find that you're cutting it a bit close, you should start the passport renewal process now. Passport processing times can vary, and you'll have to pay more if you require expedited service.
Note: We don't cover visa requirements in this guide, but you should take a moment to read up on those, too, because they can vary depending on where you're going and where you're coming from.
Schengen countries in Europe
Many European countries are signers of the Schengen Agreement. As a result, they follow the "three plus three rule," meaning your passport must be valid for three months beyond your three-month entry visa or for a total of six months, regardless of the duration of your initial stay.
While some Schengen countries only require passports to be valid for three months beyond your intended stay, others assume you may stay the full 90 days of your visa validity — thus the six-month time period.
The Schengen Agreement signers are:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- The Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- The Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Non-Schengen countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East
Abide by the usual 6 months of passport validity
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- China
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- New Caledonia
- North Korea
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Sri Lanka
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- East Timor
- Turkmenistan
- Turkey
- United Arab Emirates
- Vietnam
- Yemen
Passport must be valid 3 months
- Albania
- Belarus
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Israel
- Kazakhstan
- Macau
- Qatar
- West Bank/Gaza Strip
Passport must be valid 1 month
- Hong Kong
Passport only needs to be valid for the proposed duration of your stay
- Japan
Africa
Abide by the usual 6 months of passport validity
- Algeria
- Botswana
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Cote d'Ivoire
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Equatorial Guinea
- Egypt
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Kenya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Somalia
- South Africa (passports must also be valid for 30 days beyond your intended date of exit from the country)
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Tanzania
- Uganda
- Zambia
Passport only needs to be valid for the proposed duration of your stay
- Angola
Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean
Abide by the usual 6 months of passport validity
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Grenada
- Guadeloupe
- Haiti
- Martinique
- St. Barts
- St. Kitts
- Trinidad and Tobago (or the duration of stay at the time of entry)
Passport only needs to be valid for the proposed duration of your stay
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Curacao
- Jamaica
- Mexico
- St. Lucia
Passport must be valid at the time of entry
- Barbados
- Canada
Central and South America
Abide by the usual 6 months of passport validity
- Bolivia
- Ecuador
- Guyana
- Suriname
- Venezuela
Passport must be valid 3 months
- Honduras
- Panama
Passport only needs to be valid for the proposed duration of your stay
- Belize
- Brazil
- Chile
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Nicaragua
South Pacific
Abide by the usual 6 months of passport validity
- Fiji
- French Polynesia
- Kiribati
- Marshall Islands
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Tonga
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
Passport must be valid 3 months beyond arrival
- New Zealand
Passport only needs to be valid for the proposed duration of your stay
- American Samoa
- Australia
- Samoa
Bottom line
When examining the rules, note that some countries have a slight distinction: They may require validity to be either three or six months from the date of entry or from the date of intended departure. For simplicity, we've taken the conservative approach and assumed that for any country with a three- or six-month rule, like most of the ones above, you should ensure your passport is valid three or six months past the date of intended departure, just in case.
The list above is not exhaustive. If your intended destination isn't on the list, it's always best to check with your relevant passport issuer. While you're at it, you can use TPG's handy travel checklist to make sure everything else is in order before your trip.
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