Italy and US Passport

Renew it now and not worry about it.

Renew now, Italy requires that a passport be valid for 6 months following your trip.

Bryan, I am going to Italy in September 2010 and my passport expires in March of 2011 exactly 6 months. I bit the bullet and applied for a new one. I have spent a year planning for this trip and I ( with my luck) wouldn't chance it.
Steve is right though and I have read it myself...BUT..I got a new one...
DO IT and GET IT
Pat

Just to be the nitpicker, the only regulation I could find on the Italian embassy website was that IF you need a VISA your passport must be valid for THREE months after the visa expiration date.

If you're staying less than 90 days, you don't need a visa. In that case you don't need to worry about any 3-month or 6-month requirements, because there aren't any. At least that's the way I read it.

I welcome corrections if I'm wrong.

I just lifted this from the US State Department website under specific information for Italy:

ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS: Italy is a party to the Schengen agreement. As such, U.S. citizens may enter Italy for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. The passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. For further details about travel into and within Schengen countries, please see our Schengen Fact sheet.

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1146.html

Also, Steve, I'm a little unclear about the purpose of the "Six Month Club" link you provided. That appears to be information for foreign travelers coming into the US. Further, the list seems to illustrate the countries whose citizens are exempt from having to have a passport valid for 6 months beyond the dates of their visit.

??

So here's what I have learned from the responses.

Maybe you don't need a new passport because you don't need a visa.

Maybe you don't need a new passport because you are leaving before it expires.

Maybe the clerk at border patrol will let you in, because one or both of the above are true.

But maybe, just maybe, the clerk won't let you in. Is is worth the risk of spending all that money, flying all that way, and then not having your vacation?

Did I miss the part on the Six Month Club website link that speaks to reciprocity? I didn't have time to look over it too closely.

And why would the US State Department advise that your passport should be valid for 3-months beyond the period of stay?

Seems like you have plenty of time to renew and have peace of mind.

Ron