Passport expires in 4 months

[mellowrose]

Hello, we are booked for Sept. 1 cruise to Alaska. Just saw today that my DH's passport expires 4 months after end of cruise. Has anyone ever heard of denial to board because of that 6 month "rule?" 

[Fouremco]

There is no 6-month provision for Canadian passport holders visiting the US, or US passport holders visiting Canada. The passport simply needs to be valid for the duration of the cruise.

 

That said, some cruise lines stipulate that the passport be valid for a period of 6 months beyond the intended duration of your stay. It's probably just easier to make a blanket statement than having to list exceptions. In most cases, I believe that common sense prevails at embarkation, and most (all?) cruise lines would allow your DH to embark.

 

That said, it's their ship and their rules, and if someone is hard-nosed about sticking with the rules as written, it is remotely possible that he would be denied boarding.

 

First of all, I'd review exactly what your cruise line says on the matter. For example, some lines only recommend that the passport be valid for that extended period of time. I would also speak to the cruise line and/or your TA and ask if he might be denied.

 

If still in doubt, have hubby renew his passport. He is well within the time frame for an expedited renewal.  https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/canadian-passports/renew-adult-passport.html

 

[Middleager]

We're going on a trip on Sept. 1.  My passport expires in Feb/2025.  I just applied for a new renewal 10-yr passport.  We'll be all set.

[denby]

Our passports were set to expire early in 2025. But we have a cruise in November and one in February. Three weeks ago we went to our local Service Canada location on a Friday afternoon and our passports arrived back at our doorstep on Wednesday morning. Not bad turn around time considering it was over a weekend. We’re good for another 10 years!

[canadianbear]

59 minutes ago, denby said:

Our passports were set to expire early in 2025. But we have a cruise in November and one in February. Three weeks ago we went to our local Service Canada location on a Friday afternoon and our passports arrived back at our doorstep on Wednesday morning. Not bad turn around time considering it was over a weekend. We’re good for another 10 years!

Wow. That’s very fast!

[CDNPolar]

If you can renew before, do it.

 

Don't risk being denied boarding.

 

In Canada, you can renew 1 year from expiry date.

 

We start our renewal in whatever travel break we have as soon into the one year prior to expiry as possible.

 

Our passports expire February 2026 and we need them until the end of May 2025 so we will start the renewal process in June 2025.

[gold1953]

16 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

If you can renew before, do it.

 

Don't risk being denied boarding.

 

In Canada, you can renew 1 year from expiry date.

 

We start our renewal in whatever travel break we have as soon into the one year prior to expiry as possible.

 

Our passports expire February 2026 and we need them until the end of May 2025 so we will start the renewal process in June 2025.

I read 9 months before for renewal. I will pop in with my passport next time I walk by the office and get this going. It expires in May 2025

[CDNPolar]

7 minutes ago, gold1953 said:

I read 9 months before for renewal. I will pop in with my passport next time I walk by the office and get this going. It expires in May 2025

 

In Canada the standard is one year from expiry that you can walk in and start the renewal process.

 

You can actually renew sooner than one year, but you have to have a valid reason for that renewal and you will have to support that reason when you apply for the renewal.

 

If you are one year - to the day - or less, they will not ask for a reason why.

[Fouremco]

As the maximum international validity requirement for passports is 6 months, we always renew ours in time to ensure that there is never less than six months validity left. Although they are 10-year passports in theory, we treat them as only being 9.5-year passports.

[gnome12]

12 hours ago, Fouremco said:

As the maximum international validity requirement for passports is 6 months, we always renew ours in time to ensure that there is never less than six months validity left. Although they are 10-year passports in theory, we treat them as only being 9.5-year passports.

Which, if you renew a month or 2 before, are actually less than 9.5 year passports.

[canadianbear]

13 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Which, if you renew a month or 2 before, are actually less than 9.5 year passports.

Why don’t they make the passports for 10 years & 6 months!  

[Fouremco]

19 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Which, if you renew a month or 2 before, are actually less than 9.5 year passports.

Unless you are just going to let it lapse and stop travelling, you'll always lose the time it takes to renew the passport. One might argue that there really is no 10-year renewable passport.

 

11 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

Why don’t they make the passports for 10 years & 6 months!  

Or make the expiry date of your renewed passport exactly 10 years from the expiry date of the old passport. That way, you'd get a full ten years out of each passport, whether renewing it months ahead of time or waiting to the last minute. An added benefit to having the same renewal date each time is that it's easier to remember. Of course, they could make it really easy and use your birthday, as they do with drivers licenses, giving you slightly more or less time on your initial passport, depending on when you apply.

[canadianbear]

41 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

Unless you are just going to let it lapse and stop travelling, you'll always lose the time it takes to renew the passport. One might argue that there really is no 10-year renewable passport.

 

Or make the expiry date of your renewed passport exactly 10 years from the expiry date of the old passport. That way, you'd get a full ten years out of each passport, whether renewing it months ahead of time or waiting to the last minute. An added benefit to having the same renewal date each time is that it's easier to remember. Of course, they could make it really easy and use your birthday, as they do with drivers licenses, giving you slightly more or less time on your initial passport, depending on when you apply.

I’m sure it’s just another way to make money knowing a lot of countries want your passport not to expire before the 6 month thing.  I actually thought it would expire on my birthday (we have the 10 year one) but it isn’t. Ugh.  

[CDNPolar]

We renew as soon as we can inside the one year of expiry so effectively we are only getting 9 year passports.

 

This is not even a consideration for us.  We just do it as soon as we can and inside our planned travel schedule so we are never caught in a situation like so many that they are rushing to get an expedited passport.

[gnome12]

8 hours ago, Fouremco said:

Unless you are just going to let it lapse and stop travelling, you'll always lose the time it takes to renew the passport. One might argue that there really is no 10-year renewable passport.

 

Or make the expiry date of your renewed passport exactly 10 years from the expiry date of the old passport. That way, you'd get a full ten years out of each passport, whether renewing it months ahead of time or waiting to the last minute. An added benefit to having the same renewal date each time is that it's easier to remember. Of course, they could make it really easy and use your birthday, as they do with drivers licenses, giving you slightly more or less time on your initial passport, depending on when you apply.

I believe that the UK used to do this (or maybe still does) and after Brexit people travelling to the Schengen zone were being caught with passports with more than 10 years validity which for some reason weren't acceptable to the zone.

[stairMaster]

On 7/28/2024 at 6:39 PM, mellowrose said:

Hello, we are booked for Sept. 1 cruise to Alaska. Just saw today that my DH's passport expires 4 months after end of cruise. Has anyone ever heard of denial to board because of that 6 month "rule?" 

It is up to US immigration whether you will be allowed entry to the US (and by extension board the ship).  Since, you are on an Alaskan cruise, you will either be embarking from the Seattle or Vancouver port.  If your departure is from Seattle and you have crossed the border then you will be allowed to board since you are already in the US.  If you departure is from Vancouver, then US immigration will be present at Canada Place to process your request for entry.  If you are denied entry then you will not be able to board.

[stairMaster]

On 8/2/2024 at 6:22 AM, Fouremco said:

As the maximum international validity requirement for passports is 6 months, we always renew ours in time to ensure that there is never less than six months validity left. Although they are 10-year passports in theory, we treat them as only being 9.5-year passports.

If you travel to the US then the validity period is 6 months, other countries may have a shorter validity period. For instance, the EU allows visitors with Canadian passports that expire within 3 months to enter since the maximum stay is 3 months.  Also, the passport can be used as a vaiid form of ID up to the expiry date -- so it is good for 10 years. If you mainly use your passport to travel to the US then, yes, the effective period of the passport is < 9.5 years.    

[broberts]

1 hour ago, stairMaster said:

If you travel to the US then the validity period is 6 months, ...

 

Not so for Canadian passport holders. See https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-states. In particular

"Canadian citizens travelling by air to the United States must present one of the following documents:

a passport, which must be valid for the duration of their stay."

 

The WHTI requirement (entry by land or sea) only requires a valid passport at time of entry, https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/western-hemisphere-travel-initiative.

 

[Fouremco]

2 hours ago, stairMaster said:

If you travel to the US then the validity period is 6 months, other countries may have a shorter validity period. For instance, the EU allows visitors with Canadian passports that expire within 3 months to enter since the maximum stay is 3 months.  Also, the passport can be used as a vaiid form of ID up to the expiry date -- so it is good for 10 years. If you mainly use your passport to travel to the US then, yes, the effective period of the passport is < 9.5 years.    

A couple of points.

 

First of all, as @broberts has pointed out, as a Canadian, travel to the US only requires that your passport be valid for the duration of your visit. The same for US passport holders visiting Canada. If travel to the US was our only travel, then our passports would indeed be good for the full ten years. But that is not the case.

 

We travel to many different countries. While much of our it is planned in advance, we choose to be able to travel at a moment's notice should a tempting opportunity arise. As long as there are countries that require a six-month period of validity, we will continue to operate on the basis of a 9.5 year passport.

 

Secondly, you are correct, a Canadian passport could be used as identification. On the other hand, I've held a Canadian passport for over fifty years and haven't once used it for this purpose. 

Edited August 5 by Fouremco

[lx200gps]

8 hours ago, Fouremco said:

A couple of points.

 

First of all, as @broberts has pointed out, as a Canadian, travel to the US only requires that your passport be valid for the duration of your visit. The same for US passport holders visiting Canada. If travel to the US was our only travel, then our passports would indeed be good for the full ten years. But that is not the case.

 

We travel to many different countries. While much of our it is planned in advance, we choose to be able to travel at a moment's notice should a tempting opportunity arise. As long as there are countries that require a six-month period of validity, we will continue to operate on the basis of a 9.5 year passport.

 

Secondly, you are correct, a Canadian passport could be used as identification. On the other hand, I've held a Canadian passport for over fifty years and haven't once used it for this purpose. 

I'm a big fan of Marriott's Senior discount since I started to "qualify" for it a few years ago. They always require proof of age when checking in so I always use my passport for that.  I find it easiest to use the Passport rather than a French-only Quebec drivers license as I don't have to translate a Canadian passport into English ;o). I suppose I could use my NEXUS card but it's not a very familiar piece of ID, particularly in the US, so passport it is.

[broberts]

10 hours ago, Fouremco said:

. On the other hand, I've held a Canadian passport for over fifty years and haven't once used it for this purpose. 

 

I routinely use my passport when 2 pieces of id are requested. Outside of Canada I use it whenever id is required.

[Fouremco]

3 hours ago, lx200gps said:

I'm a big fan of Marriott's Senior discount since I started to "qualify" for it a few years ago. They always require proof of age when checking in so I always use my passport for that.  I find it easiest to use the Passport rather than a French-only Quebec drivers license as I don't have to translate a Canadian passport into English ;o). I suppose I could use my NEXUS card but it's not a very familiar piece of ID, particularly in the US, so passport it is.

 

2 hours ago, broberts said:

 

I routinely use my passport when 2 pieces of id are requested. Outside of Canada I use it whenever id is required.

I should have been clearer when I said that I've never used my passport for ID purposes, and qualified the statement by saying "within Canada". Whether at home or travelling domestically, I don't use my passport. When travelling outside the country, however, I always have my passport with me and show it if required.

[lx200gps]

3 hours ago, Fouremco said:

 

I should have been clearer when I said that I've never used my passport for ID purposes, and qualified the statement by saying "within Canada". Whether at home or travelling domestically, I don't use my passport. When travelling outside the country, however, I always have my passport with me and show it if required.

You're fortunate enough to be a resident of Canada, and as such don't have to deal with a unilingual French set of IDs. ;o) As a resident of Quebec, even in places like Toronto, Banff or Vancouver I've had to explain what "Date De Naissance" means more than enough times to wish I'd been carrying my passport with me ;o)

[Fouremco]

18 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

You're fortunate enough to be a resident of Canada, and as such don't have to deal with a unilingual French set of IDs. ;o) As a resident of Quebec, even in places like Toronto, Banff or Vancouver I've had to explain what "Date De Naissance" means more than enough times to wish I'd been carrying my passport with me ;o)

LOL. Having lived in Quebec for the better part of 30 years, including during the 1980 and 1995 referendums, I'm very well acquainted with the many complex issues. 

 

[Middleager]

2 hours ago, lx200gps said:

You're fortunate enough to be a resident of Canada, and as such don't have to deal with a unilingual French set of IDs. ;o) As a resident of Quebec, even in places like Toronto, Banff or Vancouver I've had to explain what "Date De Naissance" means more than enough times to wish I'd been carrying my passport with me ;o)

So what does Date Nuisance mean? 🤪