Travelling to the US with <6 months on passport?

Scam

Scam

Scam

Soldato
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I may be going to the US for work at the beginning of April, but my passport runs out in August. It appears that the >6 months validity does not apply to UK passports anymore :confused:

Can anyone confirm? I already have an ESTA from a previous trip so I'd rather not have to get another ESTA, and also lose 6 months of my lovely red passport for no reason... :o

uk.usembassy.gov

Passport and Travel Documents

uk.usembassy.gov uk.usembassy.gov
For certain nationalities, the passport or other travel document must be valid for at least six months beyond the proposed stay in the United States. The six-month requirement does not apply to United Kingdom passports.
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and https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/entry-requirements
 
Isn’t it for getting back into the UK, also when was the issue date as it’s now taken from there if you previously renewed early?
 
I read it's >3 months for Europe and >6 for international, especially for visa requirements etc. Renew, you still have plenty of time - just done one for my son and it was all sorted within 3 weeks.
 
Is the expiry date 10 years from the issue date? Some British passports are valid for more than 10 years and the period beyond 10 years is not recognised by many countries, in effect bringing your expiry date forward. I’m unsure if this applies to the US but worth checking if relevant.
 
Passport only needs to be valid for the duration of your stay, not a day more.

This is the case when travelling to the USA on about 120 different countries passports, including the UK.

You do not need to renew your passport.
 
"The 6-month passport rule states that your passport must be valid for another six months before you depart for international travel. The six-month travel period may commence from your date of departure or arrival, depending on the country you are visiting" - US is not on the country list.

But then you go on the US Gov travel site and it states:

  • Passport valid for travel to the United States – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). Each individual who needs a visa must submit a separate application, including any family members listed in your passport.
 
Yeah. Surely it’s the getting in to the US which counts - and their website specifies that UK passports don’t need 6 months.

Hmm. Would be helpful if my boss would decide quickly whether or not I’m going :o I see the passport office has moved to the darkest depths of east London so I really don’t fancy doing an emergency run there…
 
Scam said:
Yeah. Surely it’s the getting in to the US which counts - and their website specifies that UK passports don’t need 6 months.

Hmm. Would be helpful if my boss would decide quickly whether or not I’m going :o I see the passport office has moved to the darkest depths of east London so I really don’t fancy doing an emergency run there…
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If you're going to renew it in a few months anyway I'd just do it now tbh.

What is it? 80 pounds for 10 years or something?

Wouldn't be causing any unnecessary anxiety over a few months of "waste" over a 10 year period
 
In general life now I'm willing to spend to reduce stress more than I was.
Sometimes, you just have to step back and go.. This is going to cost me a few pounds renewing now vs in 6 months.

Is it really worth it? Even creating the posts in this thread could have cost you more in time (ie vs your salary) than doing now vs 6 months away.
 
413x said:
In general life now I'm willing to spend to reduce stress more than I was.
Sometimes, you just have to step back and go.. This is going to cost me a few pounds renewing now vs in 6 months.

Is it really worth it? Even creating the posts in this thread could have cost you more in time (ie vs your salary) than doing now vs 6 months away.
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Especially when it comes to travel, if you're dealing with different countries custom regs and, more importantly, different officials on the day it's worth spending a few quid to be 100% sure everything is ok.
 
Scam said:
Yeah you’re all being very logical. But I don’t want that stupid blue passport :p
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More like people in this thread don't know what they are talking about and want you to renew it 'to be safe' or because there is 'doubt' about the rules or what person you get on the day at POE.

As I've already stated, like the US Embassy states, you do not need to renew now. That's facts.
 
ivrytwr3 said:
"The 6-month passport rule states that your passport must be valid for another six months before you depart for international travel. The six-month travel period may commence from your date of departure or arrival, depending on the country you are visiting" - US is not on the country list.

But then you go on the US Gov travel site and it states:

  • Passport valid for travel to the United States – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). Each individual who needs a visa must submit a separate application, including any family members listed in your passport.
Click to expand...
If you click through the link above it says the UK is one of the exempt countries.

 
Scam said:
Still stinks of Nigel Farage :(
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Preaching to the choir mate.

At least with an EU partner we can use the EU queue in and UK queue back (although that's the same anyway where we fly back). Still a pain to travel now though in comparison

E: That whole thing was daft though. Thatcher chose to take the burgundy EU ones (probably because it was cheaper? Dunno) and it was never forced on us. Some EU countries still don't have them.
 
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