Hmmm Martin Lewis

[paw]

I had 6 months and a week left on my passport (for the return date) going to the Cook Islands, you needed 6 months on the date of return - I had carefully checked, I. Fact we would be back in the UK at the 6 month point.

Air New Zealand automated check in refused to issue a boarding card. The normal check in agent kept saying “the computer says no” but thankfully the senior manager at Auckland issued one after a lot of discussion and checking of rules.

Now we take no chances and always renew early. In case we encounter another jobsworth!

[DisneyDaffodil]

My daughter only has 4 months on hers when we travel in October but as she has a valid ESTA, we decided not to renew the passport until we return as we know the requirements for US travel. However, it is always slightly worrying when newspapers or other media scaremonger with misleading or incorrect information. It can be confusing and even some airline employees seem to be unsure of the regulations.

[duchy]

He didn't mention the US , so what he said was correct. Plenty of countries require 6 months and many people visit a different country every year not the same one over and over. It was good advice.

[mick]

Originally Posted by DisneyDaffodil

My daughter only has 4 months on hers when we travel in October but as she has a valid ESTA, we decided not to renew the passport until we return as we know the requirements for US travel. However, it is always slightly worrying when newspapers or other media scaremonger with misleading or incorrect information. It can be confusing and even some airline employees seem to be unsure of the regulations.

See more...

Hope that this reassures you.

cbp.gov/sites/default/fi...date122017.pdf

There's the same official confirmation on the US Embassy site and the UK government site.

Mick

[papamouse]

is it just me or do people not take this as seriously as currency?

going somewhere I want to make sure I have the correct money, so I go to their governments website to be 100% sure.

Then I look at entry requirements. Unless Martin Lewis has suddenly become the US Secretary of State, then whatever he says on the subject it mute.

Have read in here some carriers refusing to fly people out because they had the information wrong (BA) but the dibber stuck to their guns - so as a secondary and final check I would check my carriers terms of carriage. Which I did with Thomas Cook and there is was confirmed in black and white, and boom there it is:

thomascookairlines/e...ts-for-usa.jsp

"Passport and visa requirements

You require a machine-readable passport when entering the USA. This rule also applies to babies and children. Travel documents must be valid for the duration of the trip (i.e. up to and including the day of departure from the U.S. at the very least). "

so if some johnny jobs worth from the airlines said hey, wait, I'd say go read your own website.

its really quite simple - if you listen to the people who make the rules! Not the people who make a living talking.

[Colette-S]

Originally Posted by papamouse

is it just me or do people not take this as seriously as currency?

going somewhere I want to make sure I have the correct money, so I go to their governments website to be 100% sure.

Then I look at entry requirements. Unless Martin Lewis has suddenly become the US Secretary of State, then whatever he says on the subject it mute.

Have read in here some carriers refusing to fly people out because they had the information wrong (BA) but the dibber stuck to their guns - so as a secondary and final check I would check my carriers terms of carriage. Which I did with Thomas Cook and there is was confirmed in black and white, and boom there it is:

thomascookairlines/e...ts-for-usa.jsp

"Passport and visa requirements

You require a machine-readable passport when entering the USA. This rule also applies to babies and children. Travel documents must be valid for the duration of the trip (i.e. up to and including the day of departure from the U.S. at the very least). "

so if some johnny jobs worth from the airlines said hey, wait, I'd say go read your own website.

its really quite simple - if you listen to the people who make the rules! Not the people who make a living talking.

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I had checked and knew I had 6 months on my initial entry in Singapore and then upon entry into Bali. However, when I was stopping at Singapore on the way back I only had 5 weeks and 3 days. I just didn't think it through and assumed only the first entry would matter. Doh!

[mickchick]

What Martin Lewis said was absolutely correct and it has been accurately reported. MOST countries (out of the almost 200 in the world) DO require six months to a year left on foreign visitors passports. It is true the US has waived this for holders of full British passports but their usual six month requirement applies to more countries than not. And in any case Martin Lewis was not talking about the US but most of the world.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Sandra & co

My husbands runs out in August and we are going away in July to Florida, should I renew or not. What would Dibbers do?

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FOR USA - the passport merely needs to be valid for the time you will be there. The 6 month does not apply. It is stated clearly on the US London Embassy website:

"The requirement that a passport is valid for travel for six months beyond the holder's stay in the United States is waived for certain nationalities, including British Citizens."

You are absolutely fine.

[DisneyDaffodil]

Originally Posted by mick

Hope that this reassures you.

cbp.gov/sites/default/fi...date122017.pdf

There's the same official confirmation on the US Embassy site and the UK government site.

Mick

See more...

Thanks Mick, I'm saving this on my phone in case of meeting the odd official who isn't sure of the rules, or I could just leave DD at the airport and go alone 😀

[florida2000]

Originally Posted by Sandra & co

My husbands runs out in August and we are going away in July to Florida, should I renew or not. What would dibbers do?

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You mentioned later that you need new ESTAs anyway. Would you be renewing the passport in Augufst anyway? If so, if it was me I would renew now since you can add on the months to the new passport so you are not losing anything. Also, if you were intending to go to US next year you wouldn’t need to pay for a new ESTA. If you have no intention of renewing the passport for a while then I guess maybe that’s different.

The reason I say this is year before last we were picked up at US customs because daughter only had 3 months left on her passport. Now I knew that was fine but the customs officer was having none of it. There is no arguing with them! We were there ages and eventually after many calls and messing around he ‘on this occasion let us pass through’ with a warning not to do in future. Ok so he was wrong and never admitted it and of course, we ultimately got thorough ok but I can do without the hassle again. So in your position I would renew.