Can You Travel with an Expired Passport?

This question often pops up when you are planning a trip while looking at your about-to-expire passport. Well, in most situations, the answer is no. But there are always special situations. 

In this article, we enumerate several different scenarios for you to figure out if an expired passport could cancel your travel plan and if so, what to do next.

Travel within the country

Generally speaking, an expired passport will make no difference to your travel when you only intend to visit some domestic cities. That’s mainly because your home country has all your identification information and can easily recognize you through other such identity documents as your national ID or driver’s license. So no matter whether you travel by air, sea, or land, your internal trip will not be tripped up by an expired passport, as long as you stay inside the borders. Of course, if you can’t find your national ID or driver’s license, you have no other identity document to get you through security. In this case, you have to make sure that your passport is valid.

However, there can be exceptions. To avoid any unnecessary troubles, it’s always good to check the exact regulations of your destination and make sure you have the right documents before you go.

Travel outside the country

When you visit a foreign country, you are required to show your passport to verify your nationality and record your information so that the authorities will let you in. Since your passport plays such an important role during your travels, an expired passport won’t be accepted worldwide. If you’re applying for a visa, countries usually require a passport to be valid for at least six months from the date of entry, which is known as the “six-month rule”. In addition, airlines may not allow you to board if your passport has expired. So, if you’re planning an international trip, be sure your passport is valid and has at least six months of validity left.

Here, we have listed countries with various passport validity requirements for your reference.

 Countries that Require 6 Months of Validity on Your Passport：

Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bermuda, Canada, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central, African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte D’Ivoire, Curacao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Somaliland, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Zambia 

 Countries that Require Only 3 Months of Validity on Your Passport：

Albania, Lithuania, Austria, Luxembourg, Azerbaijan, Malta, Belarus, Moldova, Belgium, Monaco, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Czechia, Nauru, Estonia, Netherlands, Finland, France, North Macedonia, Georgia, Norway, Germany, Panama, Greece, Poland, Honduras, Portugal, Iceland, Senegal, Italy, Slovakia, Jordan, Slovenia, Kuwait, Spain, Latvia, Sweden, Lebanon, Switzerland

In addition to the typical six-month or three-month passport validity requirements, certain countries may have particular validity periods for passports.

*Please note that passport validity requirements can change frequently, so it’s always best to check with the embassy or consulate of your destination country for the most up-to-date information before hitting the road.

Passport exceptions

Some countries may allow foreign travelers to enter their borders without a valid passport due to cultural and economic factors. In such a case, you can travel without worrying about being refused due to your expired passport.

For instance, American citizens don’t need to bring their passports to enter Canada if they don’t take a plane. They can just use an Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) or a Trusted Traveler Program card, such as NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST instead of a passport. Americans can also use an EDL or a Passport Card to go into Mexico or some Caribbean countries, such as the Bahamas by sea or land.

If you are an EU citizen traveling to other EU countries, your national ID or driver’s license is enough to unlock your international adventure. But if you plan to travel outside of the EU, you still need a valid passport. An expired passport will be frowned upon at the borders, so it’s important to check your passport is valid before traveling.

Regardless of the special regulations that may allow you to go overseas without a passport, it’s always a good idea to keep your passport valid so that you can travel anywhere by any means without fear of having an expired passport.

What to do if your passport is about to expire or has already expired?

Undoubtedly, renew your expired passport as soon as possible and don’t wait until the last minute. You definitely don’t want to cancel your travel plans simply because your passport has expired, do you? As we all know, getting your passport renewed can take a considerable amount of time. So if your passport is going to expire in six months or has already expired and if you intend to travel abroad, apply for a renewal right away. This will do you a lot of good.

When should you renew your passport, and under what conditions should you renew it?

The best time to renew your passport is about nine months before it expires, which will give you plenty of time to get your new passport completed before your next international trip.

You may need to renew your passport if any of the following conditions are met:

• Your passport has expired or will expire within the next six months.
• Your passport has ripped or stained pages.
• Your passport is lost or stolen, and you can no longer find it. 
• Your personal information has changed, such as your name or address.

Except for the time you should pay attention to, you should also check whether your passport is in good condition as an invalid passport can put you in trouble as well.

What to prepare if you want to renew your passport?

To renew your U.S. passport, you will  need to prepare the following documents:

• Form DS-82. You can download it or submit it online
• Your current/expired passport
• two identical color passport photos that meet the specific official requirements

At the thought of a passport photo, you may feel afraid of taking a compliant and good photo. Worrying about the time and how you look in the photo. But did you know you can take your passport photo at home with AiPassportPhotos now?  With 100% compliance, it can save you time and effort! Just snap a photo with your phone or camera and let this passport photo maker take care of the rest.

Using advanced AI technology, AiPassportPhotos can automatically convert your photo to the correct passport size, remove unwanted backgrounds, and even perform AI-driven compliance tests to make sure your photo meets all of the necessary requirements. 

With four simple steps, you can get a perfect and compliant photo for your passport application.

Step 1. Find a well-lit space

Step 2. Set up your digital camera or smartphone

Step 3. Poise yourself and snap

Step 4. Process passport photo by uploading the picture to AiPassportPhotos

Where to apply for a renewal of my passport?

You can typically submit an application for a passport renewal at a Passport Acceptance Facility, such as a United States Post Office, a library or a county clerk’s office.  Or for more convenience, you may apply for a renewal online at travel.state.gov or submit the application by mail. 

If you’re short on time, the State Department provides expedited processing which will shorten the passport process to 7-9 weeks. However, this service comes with additional fees of around $60, excluding delivery and application fees. If you decide to use a passport service to help you expedite your application process, make sure you have done your research and read reviews to choose a trustworthy company. Some companies offer expedited passport services for a fee, but not all of them are legit, which you should take care of. 

Final thoughts

Now I guess you must have known what to do with an expired passport and let’s take a brief review. Before you pack your bags and head off on your international adventure, make sure you have a valid passport! Despite the fact that some countries have special passport agreements between them, it’s always best to renew your passport before making your travel plans. If you discover that your passport has expired or is about to, don’t worry, just apply for a renewal as soon as possible. Last but not least, keep abreast with the latest policy updates and requirements and you’ll get a smooth travel experience.