Passport Expiration

[chrislo]

I was just doing our on line registration for our upcoming August 8th trip on the valor and see that my 9yo sons passport expires Oct 6, 2015. Are we going to have a problem traveling without 6 months remaining on his passport? I don't feel like we have enough time now to renew before the trip.

[joepeka]

It's a closed loop cruise so you should be fine with Carnival. However, I'm not sure what the airlines position on it would be if you're flying domestically to the departure port. Also, if you get stuck in one of your foreign port stops and need to fly home (or to the next port), the airlines may also be an issue. We've never been faced with the issue and I'm sure others here with some experience will chime in on the airline angle.

Edited July 2, 2015 by joepeka

[sparks1093]

It's a closed loop cruise so you should be fine with Carnival. However, I'm not sure what the airlines position on it would be if you're flying domestically to the departure port. Also, if you get stuck in one of your foreign port stops and need to fly home (or to the next port), the airlines may also be an issue. We've never been faced with the issue and I'm sure others here with some experience will chime in on the airline angle.

 

Shouldn't be an issue flying domestically since you don't need to show the passport and as long as it's valid on your arrival back in the US it shouldn't be an issue either.

[riffatsea]

it is fine for getting on board the ship. The 6month rule does not apply on the ship and doesn't apply in every country anyway.

[wiskt]

I had a similar question regarding the 6-month rule for my friend who's passport will expire less than 30 days after we sale. We booked last minute and he did not want to pay for the expedited re-newel fee if he did not need to.

 

According to my PVP,

As long as it is VALID for the duration of the trip its VALID & accepted as ID & citizenship upon check in. The 6 month-recommendation is just that, a recommendation in case anything goes array. If you have your birth-certificate available I would bring it just as a secondary precaution as my PVP also cautioned that my friend could run into extra Customs security questions upon return to the NY port with.

 

Happy & Safe cruising

Edited July 6, 2015 by wiskt

[triciasrv]

I was just doing our on line registration for our upcoming August 8th trip on the valor and see that my 9yo sons passport expires Oct 6, 2015. Are we going to have a problem traveling without 6 months remaining on his passport? I don't feel like we have enough time now to renew before the trip.

 

We renewed our three children's passports in May. We were told it could take four weeks. All three were in our hands two weeks later. Birth certificates and passport cards all arrived the next day. It is a faster process than you may think.

[Diver2014]

"Carnival recommends that all guests travel with a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond the completion of travel".

 

Why take the chance? There is enough time to renew.

[YubaSutter]

I'm not sure what the airlines position on it would be if you're flying domestically to the departure port.

 

Passports aren't necessary for a domestic flight. :rolleyes:

[joepeka]

Passports aren't necessary for a domestic flight. :rolleyes:

 

Of course passports are not necessary for domestic airline travel but a lot of people use them for that purpose anyway - especially if they are traveling to a cruise port and plan to use them for cruise line check-in.

 

As an aside, the state I reside in brilliantly decided years ago to not comply with the federal governments REAL ID drivers licenses requirements and now the DHS/TSA has said they will begin requiring in early 2016 that driver's licenses used for airline boarding must be REAL ID compliant. Needless to say, our state is scrambling to comply otherwise a lot of folks who live here (and who do not have valid passports) won't be able to board an airline flight with only a state driver's license. If the state is not successful with compliance on our drivers licenses (or gain a temporary waiver from the feds), valid passports (or passport cards) will be required to board a domestic flight airliner in our state.

Edited July 7, 2015 by joepeka

[trvlgirlmq]

You can actually go to the State Department website and look up each countries requirements for passport validity. I did this for our cruise this past May knowing my DS's passport expired this July. We were fine. Used the passport to get on the ship and have now sent in for the renewal.

 

Yes, there are countries that require at least 6 months validity past your departure date but they are usually the bigger countries such as those found in Europe.

[CruiseReg]

You can actually go to the State Department website and look up each countries requirements for passport validity. I did this for our cruise this past May knowing my DS's passport expired this July. We were fine. Used the passport to get on the ship and have now sent in for the renewal.

 

Yes, there are countries that require at least 6 months validity past your departure date but they are usually the bigger countries such as those found in Europe.

 

This is for *entering* into those countries, you're already there, legally. If the passport is valid you certainly can use it to leave a country you're already in legally to return directly home to the US.

[hightownCO]

I think either Belize or Honduras is one of those countries that do require that passport be valid 6months after visit. I know other cruise line websites will show a problem (have seen it on Princess) if you're going to one of those countries and it's not valid long enough.

 

If there's a problem on the website, then do your on line checkin with using a birth certificate for that person but take passport too in case of emergency.

[loxley]

Why do people have such a hard time understanding there is a difference between being in transit on a cruise when you visit these countries on a cruise and the country being the destination.

 

Those "rules" people keep dragging up DO NOT pertain to persons in transit, ie, on a cruise.

 

As long as that passport is valid on the day you return, you will be fine.

 

It will even be fine if say your ship breaks down and you do not return to port as scheduled due to a breakdown and your passport expires before you make it back.

 

Countries that require a visa have expiration of passport requirements. Usually, the same amount of time as the visa is issued for.

 

They want to make sure when your time is up in their country, you will be allowed back home.

 

Again, as long as your passport will be valid the day you are scheduled to return from a cruise, YOU ARE FINE.

[cruisinfanatic]

I think either Belize or Honduras is one of those countries that do require that passport be valid 6months after visit. I know other cruise line websites will show a problem (have seen it on Princess) if you're going to one of those countries and it's not valid long enough.

 

If there's a problem on the website, then do your on line checkin with using a birth certificate for that person but take passport too in case of emergency.

Not for a cruise

[loxley]

I think either Belize or Honduras is one of those countries that do require that passport be valid 6months after visit. I know other cruise line websites will show a problem (have seen it on Princess) if you're going to one of those countries and it's not valid long enough.

 

If there's a problem on the website, then do your on line checkin with using a birth certificate for that person but take passport too in case of emergency.

 

It does not have to be valid for 6 months AFTER your visit.

 

It has to have 6 months from the date of entry to the country.

 

If you go July 1st and are staying 2 weeks, it would need to be valid until Jan 1st.

 

If you go July 1st and stay 6 weeks, it would need to be valid until Jan 1st.

 

If you go July 1st and stay until the end of December, it would need to be valid until Jan 1st.

 

To return to the US where your passport will be needed to return to the country (with the least hassle) it only needs to be valid the day of your return.

 

That is why the countries require that amount of time. They want to make sure you can return to the US and not be stuck in their country.

 

I think people are misunderstanding what your passport is actually for. It is not to visit other countries, it is so you can get back into the US after your visit. The passport is good until the day it expires for that purpose.

 

It would not be smart if a country issued a 6 month visa, but your passport only last 5 more months.

 

As a US citizen, yeah, you will get back in, but it may not be that easy and could take some time.

 

A co worker went to Italy on her honeymoon years ago. Her husband lost his passport. It took 7 days to be issued another one. She had to fly home without him for some reason I don't remember. I imagine with computers and fax machines it is a lot easier these days, but I am just guessing. Sometimes it take a long time for places to upgrade. You know our nuclear missile silos still work off of those big dinner plate sized floppy disk. Now I would think if any place should be modern and up to day that would be it.

[sparks1093]

If a country can be visited on a closed loop cruise then some passengers will not even have passports but will be sailing with birth certificate and government ID, in which case it would seem silly for a country to have a 6 month rule for those that have passports.

[Saltz]

I didn't renew my daughter's and had no issues. I still brought it and her birth certificate. Customs still looked at her passport along with ours but didn't say anything about it being expired.

[trvlgirlmq]

Check the expiration date on your passport carefully before traveling to Europe. Entry into any of the 26 European countries in the Schengen area for short-term tourism, a business trip, or in transit to a non-Schengen destination, requires that your passport be valid for at least three months beyond your intended date of departure. If your passport does not meet the Schengen requirements, you may be refused boarding by the airline at your point of origin or while transferring planes. You could also be denied entry when you arrive in the Schengen area. For this reason, we recommend that your passport have at least six months’validity remaining whenever you travel abroad. You can find passport validity requirements for your destination country, along with other important information, on our Country Specific Information pages. To ensure that your travel plans are not disrupted, plan ahead to renew your passport before traveling. Visit our passport website for more information on applying for a new or renewal passport.

 

See above per the state department. Maybe it's different for cruises but I also travel internationally by air/land and these are the rules I follow.

[loxley]

If a country can be visited on a closed loop cruise then some passengers will not even have passports but will be sailing with birth certificate and government ID, in which case it would seem silly for a country to have a 6 month rule for those that have passports.

 

Exactly.

 

Some people just try to make things hard and I think they may just enjoy trying to scare people on here.

[sparks1093]

Check the expiration date on your passport carefully before traveling to Europe. Entry into any of the 26 European countries in the Schengen area for short-term tourism, a business trip, or in transit to a non-Schengen destination, requires that your passport be valid for at least three months beyond your intended date of departure. If your passport does not meet the Schengen requirements, you may be refused boarding by the airline at your point of origin or while transferring planes. You could also be denied entry when you arrive in the Schengen area. For this reason, we recommend that your passport have at least six months’validity remaining whenever you travel abroad. You can find passport validity requirements for your destination country, along with other important information, on our Country Specific Information pages. To ensure that your travel plans are not disrupted, plan ahead to renew your passport before traveling. Visit our passport website for more information on applying for a new or renewal passport.

 

See above per the state department. Maybe it's different for cruises but I also travel internationally by air/land and these are the rules I follow.

 

Traveling to Europe is a different fettle of kish, as my father used to say.

[AdGuyMG]

Some people just try to make things hard and I think they may just enjoy trying to scare people on here.

 

Agree.

 

Same as the misinformation dispensed here about 1 parent cruising with their own kid(s) and packing notarized letters / divorce decrees / death certificates / custody documents etc... None of which are needed.

[loxley]

Agree.

 

Same as the misinformation dispensed here about 1 parent cruising with their own kid(s) and packing notarized letters / divorce decrees / death certificates / custody documents etc... None of which are needed.

 

 

I know. For some reason they can not understand there is a difference in what is needed for a cruise where you are in transit and actually going to another country as in flying for a vacation.