I want to travel to Germany Nov 30 to Dec 9, 2010. Problem is, my passport expires in the middle of Feb 2011. Will I be able to get in and out of Germany and back to the Us on my old passport??

You might be just fine -- but why risk it.

Renew it now. You'll get it back in time - and if you're nervous about that, pay for expedited service.

Getting back in is not the problem. Some countries require at least six months of time on your passport. Reason being -- they don't want you to have an accident or health issue or something else that cause a delay and your passport expires while in country. Now they might or might not enforce the deadline, but you do not want to be staying in the immigration line when an officer decide today he is enforcing the rule. Get it renewed.

You should contact the German consulate closest to you to ask them if they permit entry with such a short margin of time on your passport. That's really the only way of finding out. I wouldn't rely on what you are told here necessarily, but obviously it's good advice to err on the side of caution.

Lavandula

I just renewed my passport without expidited service - 3 week turn around. With expidited service you will get it back even quicker.

Check out the information from the German Tourist Board:

US citizens in possession of a valid US passport and Canadian citizens with a valid Canadian passport do not need a visa for airport transit, tourist or business trips (for stays up to 90 days). <b>The passport must not expire before the end of the scheduled trip.</b>

http://www.cometogermany.com/ENU/inf...egulations.htm

If you are in doubt whether to trust the tourist board's website, you can call the embassy to get official confirmation.

Nothing to do w/ the tourist authority. And German immigration officers don't come into the equation until you land in Germany.

The airline agent can deny you boarding if they think there is a potential problem.

As I said, you probably 98%+ won't have a problem. But why risk it or even worry -- just renew your passport. easy peasy. You'll have to renew it anyway as soon as you get home.

If the law says that the passport has to be valid for the stay (but not for +6 months), the immigration officer has to execute this law. He or she cannot invent their own law - at least not here.

Airlines can deny boarding when the passenger does not meet the immigration or visa requirements of the country of destination.

As I said, even though the entry regulations I mentioned are given on a government agency website, it might be worth to take the small effort to send the visa department of the German embassy and the airline an e-mail or call to get a confirmation from both sides before wasting money on something that is not required.

"<i>before wasting money on something that is not required.</i>"

wasting money on what exactly? The OP will probably renew as soon she returns to the States. So why not do it now -- it will cost <u>exactly</u> the same then or now (unless she pays for expedited service which isn't necessary if she starts the process this week)

But you are right - the passport is valid for the trip. I personally just don't see ANY advantage in not renewing it now.

You could renew now or be a nervous wreck on your trip worrying about it. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Have a nice worry free trip.

Larry J

I'd be worried about getting the new passport back in time - but then I'd be worried in case the check-in clerk says that I can't board.

I face the same choice only my trip is from Canada to the US and my arrival and departure are by car.

Has anyone information about the US policy on passport expiry?

Is this "6 month" thing an invention of EU governments only?

I think its country specific. Info from Portugal and France state that your passport only needs to be valid for the time period covered by your trip.

"Is this "6 month" thing an invention of EU governments only?"

It nothing to do with EU governments - it's mainly to do with lazy travel agents who can't be bothered to find out what the rules are and so default to 6 months, which is what some 3rd World countries require.

AFAIK no EU government requires more than that your passport hasn't expired when you leave the country

>>AFAIK no EU government requires more than that your passport hasn't expired when you leave the country<<

Actually some EU countries do require longer -- Italy for instance (at least as of last year) required 3 months. That doesn't apply to Germany of course.

What about Mexico? I am traveling there both in February and April of 2011 (two trips to different areas), and my passport expires in August 2011. I hate to spend the extra money to renew so much earlier than I need to, but I will be inside the 6 month time frame on both trips. I am pretty much not planning to renew until June, but has anyone had problems in Mexico with this?