passport expiration Italy trip

You are suppose to have 3 months after your return. If you get caught it is a big problem and if you don't, obviously not. But why risk it? To me it is a no brainer. You have plenty of time, get it renewed now.

The way I read the rules on the Italian embassy website, the 3-month rule only applies if you're traveling on a visa. When you're on a visa, your passport is supposed to be valid for at least 3 months beyond the visa's expiration date. You don't need a visa for a short stay like yours, just a "valid passport," which you have. So my interpretation is that you're fine. I recommend you read the website and decide for yourself. http://tinyurl.com/3fojx24 Edit: Or if you want you could call the Italian consulate in Los Angeles at (310) 820-0622.

ok. Im leaving tonight to go to Napa for a few days(French Laundry yay!) and then to Portland for a week. So I wont be back unti the 3rd, and we leave the 15th of September. I dont think I would have time to get a new one, even if it is expedited I freaked out a little......

Technically you do have a visa. Schengen vise which is issued automatically when you enter the country. The point is - it is risky to have passport expiring that soon. If there is an accident, for some reason his departure is delayed, you have less than a two week margin. There are reasons for the three month and six month periods. If your passport expires while in country you have all kinds of problems and delay. Remember the posting from the person who entered on an expired passport and then tried to leave. It was a mess. You have the time. Not like you are leaving next week. Get it done. Do you really want to show up at the immigration desk and some officer decides that he wants to question expiration date? You know who will lose that argument. What is the big deal about getting it renewed?

time frame! I cant even apply for a passport until the 4th of September. I dont think it will be back in time for me to leave the 15th. Thats 11 days......expedited says 2 weeks...

Call one of these places. Make an appointment. Go there. http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/agencies/agencies_913.html

You really should try to get it renewed. Don't wait until after your little trip to Napa. Squeeze it in before the 4th and the 2 week expedited time frame would work. That's much better than the worst case scenario where you're trying to renew it from the hospital. I know two expats who had family come visit them and one of the members of the visiting family got injured (one fell down the escalator at CDG airport while on the way to their flight) and had to stay - in the hospital - beyond their original plans. If something like that happened to you, you'll definitely be found out for traveling with less than 3 months validity left on your passport.

There are companies who can handle expedited passport renewals. They walk it through the system and can get it back in an amazingly short time. i found a number on google. The one i am familiar with has the forms and also can do the photos while you wait Dont procrastinate. Start it now.

I would definitely not travel with a passport that close to expiration. Find the time to get it expedited!

I side with Tom on this; you just need to have a passport valid for the duration of your stay. Both the Italian consulate website, and the US consulate in Italy say this is the case. Call the Italian Consulate to confirm this. A lot of countries in Europe are scrapping the three/six month rule. For example the UK, Germany, Belgium, and Luxemburg now only require that your passport be valid simply for the duration of your stay...Italy may have joined this clique as well.

My sister had to get passport renewed due to an emergency and made appointment at US passport agency in Philadelphia. I think they will only renew if you are leaving in a short time but don't remember the details. Anyway, she had her airline ticket as proof that she was leaving in a couple of days, had an early morning appointment and was out by about 2pm. They get your information when you first go in and then give you a time when to come back to pick it up so we went out to lunch, walked around a little and came back on time and were done, it was so easy. See about doing this if you are so worried. It was also much cheaper than having an agency handling it also.

You have time to discuss it here but not the time to do what is needed?

I would call the Italian AND French consulates. You can do that from wherever you are. If they say it is fine, you should be good to go. I'd trust them more than posters here. No offense to any of us, but none of us are immigration experts and can only give you our best judgement.

I agree 100% with what Douglas says. For those who (like me) like to obsess about these things, here's a link to the French embassy website: http://tinyurl.com/3sfl9bc Looks to me like their rules are the same as Italy.

My mother and I each just renewed our Passports. We paid the extra and it took and it tool less than six weeks. Do it on Monday before you travel to Napa. If you go the post office they will even take your picture. In NYC it was at no extra charge. You need to do this. Pam