passport expiration question

[emilyann415]

First of all, I live in the US and will be cruising in Dec. I just had someone tell me that we can't use our passports if they are due to expire in 6 months. We have friends travelling with us whose kids both expire in Feb. Will their passports be any good?

 

[Minniemiss]

First of all, I live in the US and will be cruising in Dec. I just had someone tell me that we can't use our passports if they are due to expire in 6 months. We have friends travelling with us whose kids both expire in Feb. Will their passports be any good?

You will have to check the requirements for each country you are stopping in.

 

[Kara T]

As a US citizen you will need to ensure that your passports are valid throughout the entire duration of the trip.

 

[jrabbit]

if you are doing a closed loop Caribbean cruise - no problems.

Some countries won't let you in if your passport will expire within 6 month. The Caribbean doesn't require passports.

 

[bumbershoot]

December cruise...probably not Europe, right? That's where I've found the bulk of the 6-month countries are. I like going to our state department website and finding the link to look up each country's information. Some that were 6 months are no longer that (Italy, etc).

But closed loop Caribbean cruise isn't something you need to worry about...

 

[kiford]

In general, when travelling, you have to check each country you would be visiting and determine what their requirements are for visitors from the country from which your passport is issued. The requirements you need to check are for both how long your passport must be valid as well as whether you need a visa. The country with the longest expiry requirement would dictate your passport expiry date requirement for the cruise and you would need to procure a visa for every location that requires one. However, as others have pointed out, if it's a closed loop Caribbean cruise from a US port and you're a US citizen with a US passport, you don't need to worry about it.

 

[tvguy]

For a cruise they should be fine.

Basically what a Passport does is:
1) proves your are a citizen of a specific country.
2) most countries allow people to come in for 6 months without a Visa with just a Passport. So that is why your Passport needs to be good for 6 months after you enter a country, it is in effect your Visa to be there.

 

[emilyann415]

Thanks everyone!