My passport will expire on August 7, 2012. I plan a trip to Ireland in the first two weeks of May. Do I need to worry about the fact that my passport will be expiring in August? I had planned to get a new passport after the Ireland trip, but note a sentence in Rick Steves 2012 book saying that in "some countries" a passport must be valid for three months after the proposed trip. What do you advise?
Posted by
Genesee, ID
1840 posts
Getting a new passport now.
Posted by
Bellingham, WA, USA
94 posts
I concur. Better safe than sorry and it's often at the whim of whatever immigration officer you encounter. My uncle had that happen trying to enter Spain and had to return home.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
You have plenty of time before your trip, and there is nothing to be gained by waiting. Go ahead and renew.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7552 posts
Regardless of what the requirement truly may be, the bigger risk is someone with a moderate amount of authority applying a rule of thumb or local policy. I have heard of Airline personnel denying check-in based on passport expiration, immigration officers at entry raising problems, plus since Ireland defines your allowable time in the country, up to ninety days (which your passport will expire in those ninety days) they probably will at least bring the subject up. I agree with the others, make the jump and renew.