cheryl_b

hello potential argentina travelers:

in comparing notes yesterday with a friend who is going to buenos aires 2 weeks after me, i mentioned how annoying the new passport regulations were - your passport needs to be good for six months AFTER your return date. her (expensive) travel agent knew nothing about it and now it's a scramble for her.

just thought i'd post this in case any other folks were also unaware...

raquel_z

Cheryl_b

Its not that I doubt you. However, could you please let us know the source of your information. Is it an Argentinian Consulate/Embassy, an airline, a different travel agent etc. Is there an online link to the information.
Thanks.
raquel

Scarlett

http://travel.state.gov/

cheryl_b..it is not just travel to Argentina..this is the rule for all US passports.
I think it might have been 3 months in the past..everyone should know this anyway..

JeanH

This isn't necessarily true. I just went to the US passport site that Scarlett posted. It states you should renew your passport about nine months before is expires because 'some countries won't allow you entry with less than six months'. And some airlines won't allow you to board.

I'm guessing that the Caribbean countries and possibly Mexico that never required a passport for entry might allow a person in with less than six months left.

That said, it's much simpler just to renew when you're under a year....

cheryl_b

hi,
i checked with the embassy, american airlines, a travel agent other than the agent who originally told me (because i didn't believe her!) and went to the fed site. the six month rule is not applicable in every country, but it is regarding argentina.

my passports expired five months and one week from my return...i did not want to renew my whole family so i checked this out thoroughly!

that being said, i don't get it! isn't the expiration date the date it expires??

JeanH

The way it's been explained to me is that most countries will let you spend several months in their country. But, they don't want to take the chance that you won't be allowed back into the US, so they don't want you in their country if your passport is close to expiring.

Does that make sense? It doesn't really to me, but that's what I read.

drdawggy

These are government regulations we are talking about here. A rule that made sense would be the exception rather than the rule

cheryl_b

brilliant answer drdawggy. "government regulations that makes sense", the ultimate oxymoron...