jmath

Hello,
I been travelling around south-east asia for 5 months.
I have an Australian passport.
My passport has 5 and a half months left before it reaches its expiry date.
I want to fly home in 2-3 weeks from vietnam.
Actually, I would like to spend a day or two in KL after vietnam and then fly home.
If I fly from Saigon to KL and I make it on to the plane but KL immigration realize the expiry date once ive landed in KL, will they send me on the next flight back to Australia at my expense? or will they send me back to Saigon and make me renew my passport there?
What if I have a flight to KL and then a flight to Australia a few days after landing in KL already booked. If I show them my continuing flight already booked are they likely to just let me stay a few days and then continue to Australia?
If I make it through immigration in KL and noone realizes and then spend a day or two and then fly to australia will this be a problem considering i'm flying into my own country?

Thanks in advance for any help!

RoamsAround

The reason why many countries want travelers to have at least 6 months validity left on there passports is those same countries generally allow visiting tourists to extend their stays in that country for up to 6 months. If that were to happen, they want to make the visitor's passport will still be valid so they will be able to leave when their visitor's visa expires.

One can never predict what a particular "Immigration Official" may do on any given day but since you have an onward tickets and your passport will be valid for almost 6 month after your planned departure it is doubtful you will have any kind of problem regarding the expiration date of your passport during any leg of your trip.

doug_stallings

Airlines are supposed to forestall these kinds of issues by not allowing visitors onto planes if their passports don't meet the entry requirements of the country to which they are traveling. So I think it's much more likely that you will not be allowed on the plane to KL in the first place. In that case you'd probably be liable for buying a new ticket or at the very least paying the change fee for your ticket (if that is even allowed by your airline).

The only exception I can see is if Malaysia considered you still "in transit" and granted you a 48-hour visa. Some countries do that or will just give you a very short visa period. In that case, you'd probably be required to show your airline tickets. But I wouldn't count on that.

Singapore, for example, is very strict and simply won't make exceptions. I'm not sure about Malaysia.

northie

I would look up what each country's foreigh affairs department says.
I have travelled often with less 6 months on my passport but always check the arrival country's requirement first. eg I travelled to US with less than 6 months left on passport but this is not permitted for UK -I have an Australian passport. The airlines don't always give accurate inforamtion about this so double check.

alanRow

Malaysia requires 6 months, Oz requires the passport to be valid on the day you leave but you must apply for an ETA in advance. Airlines however may impose their own rules.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p...y_requirements
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p...y_requirements

but this is not permitted for UK

THAT is surprising as generally the UK just requires to have the passport valid on the day of leaving the UK - and that is the norm for all visitors not just ones who can obtain a visa on arrival.

jmath

Great thanks for all your replies. Much appreciated.
I think I will take the risk and see what happens.
@alanRow - How do I apply for a ETA?

doug_stallings

If I am reading this correctly, jmath, you don't need an ETA for Australia because you are Australian. The ETA is the electronic visa non-Australians need to enter the country.

northie

alanRow-OP has an Australian passport and this info is for US citizens

flanneruk

"generally the UK just requires to have the passport valid on the day of leaving the UK - and that is the norm for all visitors not just ones who can obtain a visa on arrival."

The UK requires visitors requiring a visa (which doesn't include ordinary Australian or US tourists) to have six months on their passport when they arrive in Britain.

This is actually to allow deportation of overstayers (some countries might not allow overstayers back in if their passport's invalid) and really is designed for people from dodgy countries. But rules is rules, and there are lots of reasons (like working here) Northie, though Australian, might have needed a visa to visit Britain.

Northie's probably accurate in saying Northie needed six months' passport validity. He's mistaken in inferring from this that other Australians would be in the same position.

northie

too true flanneruk.
I was merely pointing out that different countries have different requirements and the traveller should look up the requirements. I was giving my example as an Australian passport holder visiting as a tourist to both countries.I was not inferring that such matters as working in a country would have the same requirements-Visitors need to do their homework.

indiag

Hi jmath
My family and I are in exactly the same situation as you, hoping to fly from Krabi to KL this coming weekend. Can you advise us of your experience? Myself and my two brothers have slightly more than 5 and a half months left on our passports and my parents have more than 6 months. We all have returning flight to Australia booked.
Thanks!

janisj

indiag: This thread is 4 years old and jmath hasn't posted since.

See the response on your own thread.

There is no guarantee the airline will allow you to board the flight to KL. In fact it is very likely they won't . . .