The Six Month Validity Rule for U.S. Passports - List of Countries

Many countries require at least 6 months validity in a passport as an entry requirement. Some require the passport be valid for six months from the date of entry while others require six months validity beyond one's stay. Due to stricter border controls in many European countries, the State Department recommends American citizens travel to the Schengen area with a passport that has six months of validity even though the official requirements is only three months.

If your passport does not have the required amount of validity, the airlines will not allow you to board your plane. Unfortunately, many travelers only discover this rule within days of their departure dates or, worse yet, after they arrive at the airport. For some, this may mean the cancelation of their trip. For most, they reschedule their flight and rush to expedite a passport renewal.

Following is a list of all the countries that currently follow this rule. Be aware, however, that entry requirements change occasionally. You should contact the embassy of the country you plan to visit and/or the airlines. Alternatively, you could make sure your passport has six months' validity in your passport just to avoid any possible complications.

The list is organized by continents with countries listed in alphabetical order. Be aware that many of the countries on the list also require a visa for entry.

Africa

Alegeria Angola Botswana Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Cote d'Ivoire Djibouti Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon

Ghana Kenya Malawi Mauritania Mozambique Namibia Rwanda Sao Tome and Principe Somalia South Sudan Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zambia

Asia

Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Burma Cambodia China Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Malaysia Mongolia

Nepal Oman Pakistan Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore Sri Lanka Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste (East Timor) Turkmenistan Turkey United Arab Emirates Vietnam Yemen

N. America

Antigua and Barbuda Grenada Honduras

Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Trinidad and Tobago

Oceania

Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia Palau

Papua New Guinea Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu

S. America

Bolivia Ecuador Guyana

Suriname Venezuela

Just discovered your passport doesn't have the six months of validity required?

Visit the nearest regional passport agency or get an expedited passport courier service to submit the application form on your behalf and renew your passport as quickly as the same day.

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