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Passport processing times are back to NORMAL after long delays in 2023, making it less likely that travelers will miss a trip due to a late renewal.
However, another common passport problem threatens to derail your trip abroad — and it involves passports that haven’t yet expired but are close to doing so.
Many countries require Americans to have at least a few months validity on their US passport in order to travel there or obtain a visa for that country.
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For example, the Schengen area, which includes 27 European nations, requires a US passport is valid for at least 90 days after the end of your trip (ie your return date), according to the State Department.
Many countries in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions demand at least six months validity for an entry permit. Other areas such as Hong Kong require one month.
What this means: Guards, such as border guards, will refuse to travel if your passport does not have a certain validity period. Some airlines won’t even let you board the flight. In these cases, your unexpired passport would cost you a holiday.
The requirement “travels a lot of people,” said Charles Leocha, president and co-founder of Travelers United, a nonprofit advocacy group.
Don’t forget the visas
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Here’s the reason for the rule: When traveling to Europe, for example, a valid US passport allows tourists to stay up to 90 days without a visa. Border officials “often assume you will stay a maximum of 90 days, even if that is not your intention,” according to the State Department.
It’s important to remember that some countries may require travelers to secure a separate visa for entry — usually at an additional cost, Leocha said. Brazil, for example, is reset visa requirement for Americans on April 10. (Costs US citizens $80.90 and lasts for 10 years.)
Travelers can find passport and visa validity requirements for specific countries at State Department website.
When to renew your passport
“It’s really important to plan ahead,” said Sally French, travel expert at NerdWallet.
He recommends applying for a new passport if it expires within a year.
A traditional passport – a passport book – Court fees $130 for adults. First-time applicants must pay an additional $35 acceptance fee. Travelers can also pay more for faster service: Expedited passport processing costs an additional $60.
Passports are generally valid for 10 years. (They are only valid for five years if the traveler was under 16 when issued.)
Passport processing times are back to normal
Delays in passport processing stymied many travelers last year as a record volume of applications strained government resources. The US State Department issued more than 24 million passport books and cards during fiscal year 2023 (from October 2022 to September 2023), a record high.
Processing times increased to 10 to 13 weeks for a standard passport application and seven to nine weeks for an expedited passport.
In comparison, it took six to eight weeks for routine service and two to three weeks for expedited service before the Covid-19 pandemic. The State Department has returned to this pre-pandemic rule was announced December 18.
Processing times do not charge for postage. It can take up to two weeks for the government to receive an application and another two weeks for travelers to get their new passport.
Nearly half, 48 percent, of Americans have a passport, up from 5 percent in 1990, the State Department said. There are more than 160 million valid US passports in circulation, nearly double the amount since 2007.