Are you sure your Passport is valid ??

Each time I prepare for a trip, one of the first things I do is check my passport to make sure it is valid for travel.  Whenever you are planning travel, it should be the first thing you do as well!  You don’t want to plan and be excited for that much needed and well-deserved vacation only to find out at the airport your passport is not valid!  Yes, it happens… and sadly more often than you think!  Working with an experienced travel professional can help you avoid this situation.  Every country in the world (including the USA) has entry and exit requirements; and a valid passport is among them.

Having a valid passport is always the sole responsibility of the traveler.  As a note, should you run in to issues with an invalid passport during travel, travel insurance may be of little help to you.  Travel insurance is based on the premise that the traveler has proper travel documentation.

What determines a valid passport?  This is a bit more detailed than you think.

Many countries have a requirement that your passport is valid for a specified time frame after your date of travel.  The general recommendation is that your passport must be valid for 6 months past the return date of travel.  Some countries may require less than that, but 6 months will keep you safe.  If your passport is not valid for the required length of time, the airline can deny you boarding for the flight or worse yet; you do get on the flight and get turned around at immigration in the destination.

While passports are expected to have normal wear and tear, damage to your passport invalidates your passport for travel.  An example of normal wear and tear is slight bending from being in a pocket or fanning of the visa pages from being opened and closed many times.  Conditions that may constitute damage requiring you to replace your passport include water damage, a significant tear, unofficial markings on the data page, missing visa pages (torn out), a hole punch, or visible damages.

Some countries require that your passport has two to four blank visa/stamp pages. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met.  If the airline does allow you to board, you can be subject to denied entry in the destination country.

Most people are aware there is an option for a passport book or a passport card.  Please, do yourself a favor and get the passport book.  Passport cards are not valid, under any circumstance, for air travel.  The passport card was designed for the specific needs of northern and southern U.S. border communities with residents that cross the border frequently by land. The passport book is the only document approved for international travel by air.  Even within passport books, there are a couple of different types.  Government contractors and employees are often provided with Special Issuance Passports for the purpose of government related travel.  These passports are not valid for personal / leisure travel.   The special issuance passports are either black (signifying diplomatic status) or red (no diplomatic status).  The “regular” passport for US Travelers will be dark blue.

Criminal History –  (This is the one nobody likes to talk about!)

Anyone who has any sort of criminal conviction or outstanding warrants needs to check with authorities to see if their passport is still valid for travel.  With certain types of crimes, passports are flagged and this will invalidate them for international travel.  This is often overlooked and can create quite an issue upon departure from the US, arrival in a foreign destination, and even return to the US.  One common example is back child-support.  Currently, the Department of State will not issue new or renew passports for anyone owing back child support.  However, if a traveler had their passport, then had the child support issues, their current passport can be flagged.  I know of a traveler recently that arrived in a foreign country only to be turned away by immigration because his passport was flagged and determined to be invalid.  Upon arrival and interview in the US upon his return, he learned it was because of his back child support.

If you need to renew, or haven’t already applied for your passport and you are planning international travel this year or next, please do so as soon as possible.  The State Department is projecting record numbers of first time applicants and renewals this year and has already advised to longer processing times.  You don’t want your vacation experience ruined because you don’t get your passport back in time!

Happy Travels,

Kelley