Passport snafu warning

[hawkeyetlse]

A confounding issue is the 10 year Passport is only really good for 9 and a half months.

This goofy government in the USA - why not issue the Passport for 10 and a half years giving

plenty of time for a full valid 10 year period with ample time for extenuating circumstances !

 

Leave it to our government to have us substituting for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey jumping

through flaming hoops chased by tiger on an elephants back to catch a cruise ship !

 

OR when reissuing the Passport give credit for the unexpired time left !

There are plenty of cruises you can take from the US for which your passport will be valid right up until the expiration date, if you are concerned about getting the full 10 years out of it. But for most international travel, it is recommended that you start thinking about renewing about 9 months before the expiration date.

 

It would be nice if they counted the remaining months and added them to the validity of your new passport (and I understand that the UK does this for its citizens), but you might run into problems with another little-known restriction imposed by some countries, which is that your passport cannot be more than 10 years old. This is why they ask for the issue date and the expiration date, because countries can be picky about both.

[dixieagle]

I'm so glad this all worked out, Cindy! Those of us on our Roll Call have been wondering and thinking of you. Safe travels, and we'll see you in a few days!!!

[mugtech]

This is a very common requirement if travelling outside of the US.

I believe the length of time left on your passport must cover the entire you are allowed in a country as a tourist, even if you have tickets to go home again.

 

I just renewed my Passport for my Mediterranean holiday in September 😀 better to be sure.

 

I'm glad you were able to get it sorted & you won't need to do it again for 10 years

 

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Probably 9.5 years

[ColeThornton]

A confounding issue is the 10 year Passport is only really good for 9 and a half months.

This goofy government in the USA - why not issue the Passport for 10 and a half years giving

plenty of time for a full valid 10 year period with ample time for extenuating circumstances !

 

Leave it to our government to have us substituting for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey jumping

through flaming hoops chased by tiger on an elephants back to catch a cruise ship !

 

OR when reissuing the Passport give credit for the unexpired time left !

 

 

 

Completely incorrect. If you return in to the United States at 9 years 364 days your passport is still as valid as ever for entering the country. This really isn't that difficult to understand. The U.S. government is not responsible for the requirements of foreign countries when it comes to passport validity length.

[AF-1]

I am glad you made your trip. Thank goodness you live near a passport office.

[hawkeyetlse]

If you return in to the United States at 9 years 364 days your passport is still as valid as ever for entering the country.

As an American citizen, you can show an expired passport to re-enter the US. You don't need a passport at all, as long as your identity/citizenship can be established by other means. (I'm not saying it will be fast and easy with big friendly smiles all around, but you will eventually be allowed to enter the country, in contrast to what is likely to happen if you try to enter a foreign country with an expired or about-to-expire passport.)

 

The primary function of a passport is for showing to other countries, not to your own country, and if any of the countries you want to visit has the 3- or 6-month rule, then you may not get the full 10 years out of your passport. It's a valid, if somewhat petty complaint. If you discover this at the last minute and have to pay hundreds of dollars extra or if you have cancel a trip altogether, I understand the frustration, but that is ultimately your responsibility. If you renew your passport in the normal way 6 to 9 months early, that corresponds to a loss of "value" of what, $10?

 

The US also has the 6-month rule for foreign visitors, but then a bunch of countries are exempt from it ("Six-Month Club"). So that's a surprising instance where the US's immigration policy is nicer than other countries. But then everyone has to pay at least $14 for an ESTA (or much much more than that, if they can't get an ESTA).

Edited June 1, 2017 by hawkeyetlse

[jskinsd]

This is my public service admission that anybody can get caught in passport hell.

I am an over-researcher by nature and I'd been planning and reading and pouring over everything for more than a year to prepare for our cruise through the Baltics this week. We were taking the whole family and I thought I made sure all the details were perfect! Even made my oldest son renew his passport months before we were leaving, just to make sure there would be no problems.

Picked the perfect Copenhagen apartment, made plans for a glorious three days pre-cruise. Went to check in for our flight on Sunday night and British Airways would not check-in my 17yo daughter because "her documents did not permit travel." ***?? Thought it might just be a computer snafu and figured it would work out when we got to the airport. But it really bugged me, so I poked around until I found out the problem:

 

Turns out, Denmark is one of the countries that requires your passport to be valid three months beyond your arrival there. My daughter's would expire two days short. She would not be allowed on the plane at all with her current passport.

 

We travel a lot. I had no idea this was a thing. Hope you never experience the panic I felt Sunday night! My son had a flight out the next morning and we were to follow that afternoon. Everything reserved and paid for. And no way were we just going to go without her.

And of course, Monday was a federal holiday. So there was nobody for me to call and talk to, no office to visit for an entire day.

 

I called American that night and they were great. We had booked our first-class tickets on points and when I explained the problem, they said they'd do everything they could to help. My husband flew out as planned and they changed my ticket and my daughter's to a flight out Wednesday night. They told me my only option was to get her a new passport on Tuesday.

 

Luckily, I live just outside of Chicago and there is a passport office downtown. But the internet said nobody could go there without an appointment. Which was not available.

But we took our chances -- no choice, no problem, right? -- and were at the front door when the office opened. Nobody gave us a hard time. Everybody was completely understanding -- they all said this happens ALL OF THE TIME -- and we were able to get her passport that afternoon. We will make our flight today.

 

I paid the ignorance tax with lost days in Copenhagen, my awesome first class seats (not available on my rescheduled flight) and probably lost years of my life because of the stress level! ;) But it all worked out for us, so I am grateful and NOT complaining.

 

So I am here with a warning: if anyone has a passport expiring within six months of travel, renew it before you even go. I actually thought you couldn't renew unless it was time to renew. I'd never heard of this requirement, so it never occurred to me. I just figured we'd renew in time for our next trip, no worries. Don't be like me!!

 

I am perplexed why NCL and American/British Airways -- which had our passport information for months -- didn't flag the information and warn me. It is quick to warn if you type in the wrong numbers/dates/etc. Seems like a simple thing. The passport officer told me it's their biggest pet peeve with the airlines. My mistake was assuming everything was OK because nobody told me otherwise.

 

I have learned so much from these boards and other travel sites, I wanted to make sure to share. Good and safe travels to you all!

XO

Cindy

Thank you very much for telling us about your journey. It is not to often that a person can admit to a mistake. But because you do over research, you were able to make a bad situation better. You are a problem solver. And now because of your story, many cruisers like me will learn from this experience.

Thanks again.:D

[mugtech]

Just a passport update, I sent my renewal in 5 weeks ago with the $110 check, no special speed requested. The money came out of my bank account 3 business days after I sent the application special delivery to Philadelphia. I got it today, exactly 5 weeks after I mailed in. This is a very popular year for passport renewal.

[RN Cruiser1]

didn't read all of the post or replies....but I think NCL requires your passport to be valid for 6 months during your cruise, right?

 

 

I can speak to this if you are making a closed loop within the USA this is not the case. My DH and I left on the Getaway RT Miami on April 23rd of this year and our passports expired on May 17th. I brought our BC's just in case but there were no issues. Our passports were checked on arrival and we were sent on our way.

[Cruiser Who Knows Nothing]

didn't read all of the post or replies....but I think NCL requires your passport to be valid for 6 months during your cruise, right?

 

 

Read the post

 

 

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[mamasylvia]

I am an over-researcher too, but there is just no way to prevent all snafus. For our Alaska cruise, I booked a week when my DD would be out of school and my National Guard son didn't have duty - and 4 months before the cruise, his unit changed their duty dates for that month. Much stress and nail-biting until the CO approved his request to start his weekend a day early so he could leave a day early and make the ship. He had to catch a flight arriving at 8:30 am on cruise day, which had me nervous again, but he made it.

 

Life sure gets exciting, doesn't it? Hope you are having a wonderful time!

[Loonbeam]

Apropos of topic:

 

Check the status of your passport application:

https://passportstatus.state.gov/opss/OPSS_Status_ip.asp

[gwsster]

There is so much research and reading to do before traveling and I can understand how this Passport fact gets missed. I am so glad that the OP was able to save the trip. I can't begin to imagine the stress of getting a new passport in such a short time. YIKES. The information is on the NCL website, you have to know to ask and that is the problem. I can't remember if this information was on my e-docs or not from my last NCL cruise, but it sure would come in handy.

For Cruises Leaving a Non-U.S. port (Europe, Asia, South America, Australia itineraries)

 

This is from the NCL site under documentation Visas and Passports in the FAQ section.

You’re required to carry a valid passport, not expiring within six (6) months of the return of your cruise.

Specific visas may be required for entry into some European, Asian, Australian, South American and Cuban ports. Some must be obtained in advance; some can be obtained onboard.

 

Click here for visa requirements and info on obtaining visas.

FROM THE NCL WEBSITE UNDER FAQ'S - DOCUMENTATION.

 

 

I can speak to this if you are making a closed loop within the USA this is not the case. My DH and I left on the Getaway RT Miami on April 23rd of this year and our passports expired on May 17th. I brought our BC's just in case but there were no issues. Our passports were checked on arrival and we were sent on our way.

[SandyBShores]

Sheesh! I'm glad you discovered the rule before it prevented your perfect plan from taking place!

 

I'm curious WHY these other countries require the six month expiration requirement. Anyone know? They think you'll love their country so much they want you to be able to stay?

 

FWIW, we've cruised on Carnival to Caribbean ports and Carnival line also has the six month expiration requirement.

[Regguy]

I'm curious WHY these other countries require the six month expiration requirement. Anyone know? They think you'll love their country so much they want you to be able to stay.

 

A Schengen visa is good for six months. Once they let you in, you're admitted for up to 90 days within six months. The fact that you have a plane ticket home makes no difference. It's just a piece of paper or an electronic note.

 

The visa is six months in duration. If your passport is only valid for five months they don't want to give you a visa that overstays your passport's validity.

 

It would be nice if, in that circumstance, they could just give you a four month visa. But there is no such animal, and even if there were the airline has no way of knowing it would be granted to you, so they aren't going to transport you and then take the risk they'll be responsible for you when you are denied entry.

 

(Edit: Though why some Schengen countries are content with 90 days validity and some require the full six months is not clear.)

[hawkeyetlse]

Most people on this board (US/Can/Aus/NZ passports) don't need a "Schengen visa". You can enter visa-free for up to 90 days (as long as you have not already spent 90 days in the area in the preceding 180 days; this is to prevent fake tourists from leaving and coming right back and basically living in Europe without a proper residence permit). But your passport must be valid for 3 months beyond your intended departure date. I don't think any Schengen countries require more than 3 months for visa-free entry (not sure if they would even be allowed to, this is part of the Schengen agreement). However, they can use their own interpretation of your "intended departure", and assume that you are planning to stay for the full 90 days. Add 3 months to that, and it amounts to something like a 6-month rule (but it's 6 months starting from your arrival date, not 6 months after your supposed departure date).

 

NCL states a 6-month rule just to be on the safe side. Carriers often state stricter rules than actually necessary, because they really really don't want any problems upon arrival. But when you actually go to check-in for an intra-Schengen cruise, they should accept a passport that is only valid for 3 months after the cruise ends. But I am not recommending for anyone to test this, and I take no responsibility if it turns out badly…

Edited June 3, 2017 by hawkeyetlse

[CPT Trips]

As an American citizen, you can show an expired passport to re-enter the US. You don't need a passport at all, as long as your identity/citizenship can be established by other means. (I'm not saying it will be fast and easy with big friendly smiles all around, but you will eventually be allowed to enter the country, in contrast to what is likely to happen if you try to enter a foreign country with an expired or about-to-expire passport.)

 

The primary function of a passport is for showing to other countries, not to your own country, and if any of the countries you want to visit has the 3- or 6-month rule, then you may not get the full 10 years out of your passport. It's a valid, if somewhat petty complaint. If you discover this at the last minute and have to pay hundreds of dollars extra or if you have cancel a trip altogether, I understand the frustration, but that is ultimately your responsibility. If you renew your passport in the normal way 6 to 9 months early, that corresponds to a loss of "value" of what, $10?

 

The US also has the 6-month rule for foreign visitors, but then a bunch of countries are exempt from it ("Six-Month Club"). So that's a surprising instance where the US's immigration policy is nicer than other countries. But then everyone has to pay at least $14 for an ESTA (or much much more than that, if they can't get an ESTA).

 

You reminded me of my pet peeve. Despite my requests not to stamp my passport, most airport based US immigration officers stamp my passport with an entry stamp. They accepted my passport as proof of citizenship. What purpose does the stamp serve?

[hawkeyetlse]

I get that some people want to avoid filling up their passports (while for others, it's a life goal), but in most situations there are clear guidelines about whether you get a stamp or not. I mean the guidelines are clear to the immigration agent, not necessarily to the traveler, and they don't usually give the traveler a say in the matter. And the fact that they did things one way the last time you were at that border crossing doesn't guarantee that the same thing will happen again. You can always request whatever you want, I suppose, but like I said, it's not usually a negotiation.

 

In general, it's not a bad idea to have proof in your passport of when and how you entered/exited different countries (including your own country). A US entry stamp may turn out to be useful, for example, if you get accused by another country of overstaying. You can point to the stamp and say, see, this proves I was no longer in your country on this date.

[Regguy]

Most people on this board (US/Can/Aus/NZ passports) don't need a "Schengen visa". You can enter visa-free for up to 90 days (as long as you have not already spent 90 days in the area in the preceding 180 days; this is to prevent fake tourists from leaving and coming right back and basically living in Europe without a proper residence permit). But your passport must be valid for 3 months beyond your intended departure date. I don't think any Schengen countries require more than 3 months for visa-free entry (not sure if they would even be allowed to, this is part of the Schengen agreement). However, they can use their own interpretation of your "intended departure", and assume that you are planning to stay for the full 90 days. Add 3 months to that, and it amounts to something like a 6-month rule (but it's 6 months starting from your arrival date, not 6 months after your supposed departure date).

 

NCL states a 6-month rule just to be on the safe side. Carriers often state stricter rules than actually necessary, because they really really don't want any problems upon arrival. But when you actually go to check-in for an intra-Schengen cruise, they should accept a passport that is only valid for 3 months after the cruise ends. But I am not recommending for anyone to test this, and I take no responsibility if it turns out badly…

 

I think what really matters, though, is what IATA/Timatic kicks back to the airline when you try to check in. If Timatic says you're a no go, they aren't going to let you fly and there's pretty much nobody at the airport that's going to have discretion to let you board. You used to be able to check Timatic on the star alliance website but can't any more. The most reliable way to see what the airline will see is to use Emirates web site, which will give visa and passport information for any combination. It is provided by IATA so should (emphasis on should) be the same as what Timatic would show.

 

What's weird is that in OP's case, Denmark is one of the entry points that only requires 3 month validity for U.S. citizens according to Emirates, which I would think is highly likely to mirror Timatic. So, either BA uses something different or there is something unusual about OP's case that we don't know.

 

Edit: Oops -- OP did say that they got denied for 3 months. I don't know how I got off on a 6 month tangent . . .