Another Passport thread, because this information is important

Carol is right, it is so easy to overlook the expiration date on your passport or Global Entry and even the TSA pre-check.

Thanks for updates. There is another thread with this info as well. I sent my passport on April 4th--still have not received it back! Luckily I have no int'l plans this year.
Plan ahead.

Thanks Carol, ties in perfectly with renewing your passport every 9 years so expiration is never an issue.

My daughter just renewed her passport using expedited service. We scheduled an appointment at the P.O. (because she's upgrading from a teenager passport to an 18+ which requires a P.O. appearance), and went in and out quickly. She received hers in 4 weeks. The whole process was quick. We thought we might travel this summer so we expedited. Turns out we're not, so now her new passport is just mocking her ;p
Maybe going to the P.O. helps with timing?

And remember your children’s passport may only be good for five years. I’ve seen several posts on Tripadvisor where people are in a total state of panic because they didn’t realize Junior’s passport was only good for five years and they’re leaving for Mexico tomorrow and his passport expired (Uh no Junior won’t be making this trip with you )

Traveling with a passport valid for six months after the expected return date isn't a rule of thumb—it's a rule. Some countries will deny entry for anything less, so most airlines have adopted it as a blanket policy.

Just renew every 9 years...your never in a rush and never out of date...

In late spring a routine renewal took us just 4 weeks, paying extra for expedited service.

And remember that your congressman can help if you are in real jam. Sometimes a congressional intervention can get you that passport inside of a few days.

We are going to Africa next July of 2022 and return in early August. My husbands passport expires in November of 2022. Will this be ok?
The thing is we are traveling internationally this October, then a cruise in January, France in April and Africa in July, so we don’t have a good chunk of time to send passport off to get renewed. (Making up for 2020)!

The requirement is 6 months from when you return to the US (as far as Schengen). Renew now.

Tammy - Your situation highlights another significant part of the problem. It is not enough to just renew early, Since one has to send in a current passport with the application, they will be without a passport for possibly 12-18+ weeks. I can see where choosing that window to renew is a risk with your travel plans. What a headache!

Could be wrong, but I don’t think Africa is part of Schengen, so if 6 months validity is a Schengen requirement then we should be ok?

Africa is a continent and I suspect each country will have their own requirements. Check with the country where you are going to see their specific rules.

Tammy, you will need to check with the countries you are going to . There used to be a special East Africa Visa that worked for several countries that might meet your needs. You also need to visit your travel health clinic (often at the local health dept) and determine which vaccinations that you need.

Whatever you do, realize that when you mail that passport in, you might not see it for a very long time!!!!