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Can I travel to Portugal with 5 1/2 months remaining on my passport?

Question: I previously asked if I could travel to Spain with five and half months of validity left on my passport instead of six. I received a reply that Spain only requires 3 months, so I should be fine.

I forgot to mention that I will be renting a car while in Spain and plan on driving into Portugal. Will I be able to do this as well without any problems due to my passport?

Answer: Both Spain and Portugal are party to the Schengen Agreement so the entry requirements are the same. The State Department states, "Although European Union regulations require that non-EU visitors obtain a stamp in their passports upon initial entry to a Schengen country, many borders are not staffed with officers carrying out this function. If you want to be sure your entry is properly documented, you must ask for a stamp at an official point of entry. Without the stamp, you may be questioned and asked to prove how long you have been staying in Schengen countries when you leave."

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Travel to Portugal
by: Anonymous

Question: We booked our trip to visit family in Portugal for the month of August returning on August 31st to the USA. I just realized my daughter's passport expires on September 18th of this year. Will she be allowed to fly to Portugal? Technically the whole trip will be over BEFORE her passport expires but, I am not sure if that won't matter because it is about 2 weeks away from the expiration date.

Answer: As party to the Schengen Agreement, Portugal requires U.S. citizens to present passports with at least 3 months validity beyond the bearer's planned date of departure. Your daughter's passport does not meet this requirement.

You need to apply for your child's new passport soon. If you submit the application ASAP and request expedited service, you should get the passport in plenty of time before your trip. Expedited processing costs an additional $60 and will take 4 to 6 weeks to complete.

passport expiration
by: Anonymous

Question: In general, how many years does an adult passport last?

Answer: A regular passport book or a passport card issued to an applicant age 15 or older is valid for 10 years from the date of issue.

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