Passport Renewal

[karena1]

On 9/21/2019 at 3:24 PM, ryanbarckley said:

Hi Everyone!

 

I have an 11 night cruise coming up on Jan 5, 2020. My passport expires June 7, 2020, which is a bit past the recommended 6 month window to get it renewed. I'd love to wait until after the cruise to renew, but wondered if I would run in to any issues or what everyone's recommendations are with that?

Thank you!

You are fine!  I get mine renewed about 3 months before depending on how much we travel.  I have to get it done between cruises - lol! So normally renew in late June as we never cruise in July and start again in late August.

[mjldvlks]

For procrastinators like me, keep in mind you can "renew" for up to 5 years after expiration. [For the OCD among us, the actual rule is 15 years after issue date] After that,  you have to start over and apply for a new passport.

[sparks1093]

14 hours ago, Seville2Cabo said:

I find airlines do not know all the requirements so they default to the 6 month rule.  I’ve been on a number of flights where they did not ask to see visas.  

Also, there is no 6 month rule to fly out of a country and no issue with a US passport holder flying into the US with 1 day left on passport.  

Actually there are only a handful of counties with a six month requirement, for many it's three months (if they have one at all). It should also be noted that the requirement is to have that amount of time remaining on your passport on the day you are scheduled to leave the country, so if you were visiting a country with a six month requirement for a month you would need seven months validity remaining on the day that you arrive.

[cruisingpluto]

Thank you everyone!!!  Appreciate the responses.  Happy holidays.

[sparks1093]

On 12/21/2019 at 6:45 PM, mjldvlks said:

For procrastinators like me, keep in mind you can "renew" for up to 5 years after expiration. [For the OCD among us, the actual rule is 15 years after issue date] After that,  you have to start over and apply for a new passport.

I'm not OCD (much) but this time frame allows you to renew by mail as opposed to in person. I am a little bit of a procrastinator but if my passport needs to be renewed for a trip we are taking then that is not something that I would put off. Of course if we don't need the passport for the trip we are taking I would delay renewing until the time came when we needed it (so if I were in the situation where I only had a couple of months left on the passports and we were going on a closed loop cruise then I likely wouldn't renew them).

[mjldvlks]

3 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

. . . Of course if we don't need the passport for the trip we are taking I would delay renewing until the time came when we needed it . . .

Exactly. 

[flyingron]

Yeah, I can give you renewal horror stories.   My wife sent her old passport off to be renewed.   We got a letter back stating they received the application without the passport.    She was screwed.   We had to start over (birth certificate, etc...).

[SRF]

On 9/21/2019 at 4:11 PM, akcruz said:

 

Direct flight yes, however remember a situation a while back where direct flights were not available and because the stopover was not in the US there were issues.  Don't remember the details but the situation stuck with me.  Maybe with more flights now this isn't a concern, or where they are traveling to but I can't say that for sure.

 

In most countries, that would only be an issue if you had an overnight stop or otherwise had to leave the airport.  

 

Most countries, in transit from one international flight to another, you never "enter" that country.  US does require all passengers that touch down in the US to officially enter the US.

 

 

[cruisingpluto]

Hello all! Just wanted to provide an update.  I am back from my cruise!  Off the ship today.  I was able to board okay and also come back okay with my passport.  My passport is set to expire in June.  Thank you everyone for your help!  I did not bring my birth certificate with me, just the passport.