Ireland travel passport question
 

I have had mixed articles tell me different things so. My boyfriends passport expires June 29, 2017. We go to Ireland the first week in March.
Does he have to have it renewed before our trip? Or is after ok?

you'll get mixed input here online as well.

I'll start. Do it now. You have more than a month and a half until your trip. Get it renewed now and it'll be back in hand well before you travel.

https://travel.state.gov/content/pas...y/ireland.html

http://www.ireland.com/en-us/about-i...on-in-ireland/


As long as it is valid for the duration of the stay you are OK, but since you have the time why not renew before your trip?

I've faced this dilemma myself and was glad I opted to get it out of the way.

I have just had my U.S. passport renewed. From the time the USPS priority mail tracking said they delivered my renewal package to the passport center in Philadelphia, I got my new passport back in my mailbox in 11 days.

Your passport would have to be valid for the flight back. The other way round the US needs 6 months on a passport to let us in.

Go with the advice above and renew before you head here.

My advice is to have him renew it now. When I booked my sister's flight to Germany during the summer of 2015, I noticed her expiry date was Feb 2016. The flight was Nov 2015. I advised her to renew it before the trip. She ignored me and went on a cruise in Europe that Oct with no issues. Well when she tried to check in for the flight in Nov, she wasn't allowed.

It wasn't pretty when we had to leave her behind. I have no idea why she was allowed to travel in Oct but a month later it was a no. It put everyone in a bad mood at the start of the trip which could have been avoided. So if it were me, renew it now.

You should renew it.
I am sure of it. No mixed reply.

Thanks and Regards,

Sankar

Thanks for the tips.
I will go ahead and have him start the renewal process within the next couple days.

My only concern is if he doesn't have it back in time...

You can pay extra to have it expedited, probably not necessary from comments above, but it might make you feel better.

Here, under "additional services":
https://travel.state.gov/content/pas...tion/fees.html

There are several levels of expediting.

I got mine back in 11 days from the time they got my package at Philadelphia passport center earlier this month the cheapest way via USPS priority mail without any expediting.

They offer expediting by mail at additional cost.

And looks like you are in Chicago? There is a passport center in the city you can do it in person. You need to make an appointment. I think the official guideline for application is considered "emergency international trip" to be able to do it in person on the same day is a trip within next two weeks.

I think we have decided to not do it yet.
It said it is a 8 week maximum turn around and you have to mail in the passport so if you don't get it back you're screwed.

We called the passport office and they said as long as we are back in the states before it expires we're fine.

ah, the passport office in the US. The least important ones.

Did you check with your airline? The ones who get stiffed with the bill.

Did you check with Irish authorities? The ones who authorise your access to Ireland.

I'd update it now, but if I decided to check with anyone the US passport authority is the third person I'd call.

Did you try the risk analysis approach ?
What do I gain if I don't renew the passport : G
What do I lose if I am not allowed entry : L
What is the probability of L : PL
The probability of G = 1-L

So,
I expect G to be about 50 $
I expect L to be in the thousand(s) ?
being sent back, renew passport, come back or cancel the trip altogether.

Financially PL must be 20 times lower than PG to be worth it : PL < 5%.

Then : PL (0,05)*1000 $ = PG * G

You then decide if itis worth the risk.
Adapt the forumula with exact financial values
And you may add Emotional value : E

PL * (L+E) = PG * G = 50 $

E being the cost of missing your trip/holiday, coming back home and having to explain that you fu**ed up your holiday because you wanted to save 50 bucks on renewal of your passport.

Good luck !

"I think we have decided to not do it yet."

By "we", I suspect you mean "he". You at least had the good sense to ask the question. Consequences: Will you go on to Ireland without him if he'd denied boarding at the airport or not let into Ireland?

As mentioned more than once above, an extra fee will get you a speedy renewal, not 8 weeks. But indications point to a cheapskate, and from my perspective, one of the least attractive of traits. I hope you aren't planning to marry him.

I don't think it's being cheap not to do something that isn't really necessary according to the law and even the passport office told them that. I think it's being pragmatic and not an obsessive worrier.

I don't understand what being glad you opted to do something means, since there can thus be no knowledge of what would have happened if you didn't.

In fact, I didn't get my passport back when I renewed for about 6 weeks, so that happens. You can't predict. It could have even been a bit longer. I sent mine in around April, at least 3 months before my planned travel to be safe. This was a couple years ago, nothing unusual was happening at that time with the passport office that I know of.

Mme, possibly more guidance than the OP was asking for :-)

Well the issue is not just The Law. There are a bunch of laws here, there is American law, Irish law and the position the airline is taking to minimise their risks under a number of laws including the local commercial laws in both countries and within the general EU environment.

Still, it is up to the OP.

Bilbo, the opening was wide and I simply went through. It was my duty. But, if true, she knows it already.

I would not take the word of the local passport office, other than on US law. However, checking the Irish embassy's web site turns up no references to passport validity, and the US State Department's travel advisory page says that it only needs to be valid for the duration of the trip. So the OP's boyfriend should be fine.

It's not the problem of anyone being a cheapskate. We just don't feel the need to upgrade the passport until our next trip if it isn't necessary for this trip. We would rather save that almost $200 for other things for the trip.

I do really appreciate the feedback though. As I have not traveled to Europe before it really helps.