How to Travel with an Expired Passport: Essential Tips and Solutions
Even with expedited renewal, it can take several weeks to get a new passport if the one you have has expired or is about to. So, what can you do when you’ve already booked a trip? Or what happens if you’re travelling, and your passport is about to expire? Can you travel under these circumstances?
In most cases, you won’t be able to cross international borders if your passport has expired, but there are some exceptions, and we’re going to explore them all.
Why Do We Have Passports?
As important as they are, passports can be a real headache for travellers. It seems to take forever to get one, and no matter what government bodies do to facilitate their renewal or replacement, the process is still a long one. Like most travellers, you know the panic that can arise when you think you’ve lost this vital document. So, why do we have to use them in the first place?
Passports became a universally agreed-upon document after World War II when international organizations like the InternationalCivil Aviation Organization (ICAO) began standardizing security features, design, and biometric data. And yes, there really is a microchip embedded in your passport!
Governments want their residents and citizens to use these travel documents because they help maintain international security. They also provide a way to see who is going where and track travel patterns for suspicious movements. Passports are also used to avoid identity fraud, track migration, and keep the peace among nations, especially with regard to trade and tourism.
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Booking International Travel with an Expiring Passport
You applied for a passport renewal, but it hasn’t arrived and you want to get on with booking your holiday plans. What should you do?
You can definitely begin planning and booking international travel if your passport expiry date is approaching, but you might not be able to board your flight without a valid passport in hand. The final decision on this depends on the rules in the country you plan to visit as well as the airline’s policies.
If you’re thinking of planning a trip and concerned about the validity of your passport, play it safe and consider making your plans after you get the renewal.
The Role of Airlines
Air carriers are responsible for ensuring that passengers have the correct travel documents like visas and passports. If you arrive at your destination country and are denied entry because your passport has expired, then the airline has to take care of getting you home at their expense.
Because of this, some carriers will require passengers to provide passport and visa information when they book their flight. Others will only require this information at check-in and at boarding to make sure these documents are in order for the duration of your trip. If you don’t have a valid passport, you could be denied boarding.
How Long Does it Take to Renew Your Passport?
As you can see in the table below, it can take a few weeks under normal circumstances for a renewed passport to be issued. Fortunately, most countries offer expedited or emergency services for a quicker delivery of a new one. Check with your country’s passport office for more information and exact timeframes.
Country | Standard Processing Time | Expedited | Emergency (for urgent travel like life or death situations) |
United States | 10-13 weeks | 7-9 weeks | Within 14 days |
United Kingdom | 10 weeks | 1 week (must be in-person) | Available, and is issued “quickly” |
Canada | 10 business days (if you do it in person) or 20 days by mail) | Express: 2-9 business days Urgent: Pick up the following business day | Available |
Germany | 4-6 weeks | A few days to a week | Check with passport office |
France | 2-4 weeks | A few days to a week | Check with passport office |
Italy | 2-4 weeks | A few days to a week | Check with passport office |
Passport Validity Requirements
While most countries like the US, UK, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada only require your passport to be valid while you’re visiting, others may require it to be valid for a certain period of time beyond the dates you intend to travel.
The vast majority of Schengen Area countries, for example, require this document to be valid for 3-months past your departure date. Not only that, but it must have been issued within the last 10 years.
Other countries require a 3 or 6 month validity periodpast your entry date, and yet another group requires 3 or 6 months beyond your entry AND departure dates. So, check these requirements for your destination country before you plan your trip.
Where Can You Travel with an Expired Passport?
Generally, you cannot travel internationally if your passport is expired, however this rule may be relaxed in some circumstances, usually for citizens returning to their home country. Some countries in the European Union will allow their citizens to come home with an expired passport, but these travellers will need to get a renewed passport for future international travel.
Citizens of France, Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, LIechtenstein, Monaco, Netherlands, and Portugal can travel within the Schengen Area if their passport has expired within 5 years.
As well, Germany and Hungary permit their citizens to travel with an expired passport as long as it happens within 1 year.
The table below shows the general rules for who can enter and exit certain countries with expired passports. It’s important to note that for some countries, re-entry with an expired passport is only allowed in emergency situations.
Country | Expired Passport Rule |
Spain | Citizens can enter with expired passport but must have a valid one to leave |
France Belgium Austria Luxembourg Switzerland Liechtenstein Monaco Netherlands Portugal | Citizens can return home with a passport that has expired within the last 5 years |
Germany Hungary | Citizens return home if their passport has expired by as much as 1 year |
Denmark Finland Iceland Norway Sweden | Citizens can travel among the Nordic countries without a passport. Re-entry with an expired passport might be permitted if the traveller can prove their identity with another official government ID |
Australia | Citizens and non-citizens must have a valid passport for entry |
Central and South American countries | Most countries require citizens and non-citizens have a current, valid passport for entry and exit |
Asia | Almost all Asian countries require citizens and non-citizens to have a valid passport for entry and exit. |
United States | Citizens and non-citizens must have a valid passport for entry and exit |
United Kingdom | Citizens and non-citizens must have a valid passport for entry and exit |
Ireland | Citizens and non-citizens must have a valid passport for entry and exit |
Canada | Citizens and non-citizens must have a valid passport for entry and exit |
How to Return Home with an Expired Passport
Re-entering your home country with an expired passport is possible, but it will take a little planning and preparation.
Step 1
The first order of business is contacting your country’s embassy or consulate. Not only can they advise you on what steps you need to take, but they can usually help you with an Emergency Travel Document (ETD). These serve as temporary passports and are only valid for the one-way trip home.
Step 2
You’ll also have to gather the right documents to prove who you are and where you’ve been.
- Your expired passport
- An additional ID like a driver’s license
- Your travel itinerary, including flight tickets and booking receipts
Step 3
Once you’ve been issued the Emergency Travel Document or given permission to return home with the expired passport, you should let the airline know about your situation.
Step 4
Once you land, you will have to show border control your expired passport and your ETD. Typically, you will be allowed to return home with these documents, but there’s a good chance you’ll have to endure some additional questioning.
Could Passports Become Unnecessary?
Thanks to the many advances in technology in recent years, several countries have already begun to use digital and biometric identity systems. If all goes to plan, these systems will make it faster and easier to cross borders and reduce the dependence on physical passports in some situations.
The Entry/Exit System (EES) in the EU, for example, is expected to launch as early as October 2024. This data system would register a non-EU traveller’s name, travel document, fingerprints, facial images, and where and when the individual entered and exited the external border of the EU.
This new system would connect with eGates that are already in use in major international airports like Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Madrid, Barcelona, Brussels Airport, and Dublin Airport to name a few. But passengers are still required to have an e-passport with the embedded chip because the eGates work by comparing the biometric data in the chip with the real-time gate scan.
So, will physical passports become obsolete? Well, not anytime soon.
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