Valid Passport

[Beep]

My passport expires 14 days inside 6 months from the date we are travelling, so I was going to renew my passport early. After reading the UK Consulate site it states that there is an agreement between the USA and UK of an automatic extension of 6 months past the expiration date which would mean I wouldn't need to get a new one.

http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/faqs/faq_visa_niv.html#niv079

Has anyone travelled like this? I've got visions of being turned away! It would mean having to renew my passport before we travel and then get a new one when we return with my new married name which is double the cost.

 

[Pegasus928]

Personally I have never travelled like this, but if it were me in this situation I would just get a new passport now.
You are going to have to do it when you return anyway so why give yourself the extra cost?

 

[getready]

If you renew your passport with less than 9 months on it - its automatically extended to the 10 years + that remaining time on it....

 

[Dimplenose]

Is there any way she can get her married name on the new passport before the wedding as I think that's the problem?

ETA - I've just looked at her countdown - she's travelling out on her maiden name so needs the passport in that name, but doesn't want to renew her passport in that name as she will have to get another new one when she gets home with her married name on it.

 

[wicket2005]

I personally could not be bothered with the worry and would just renew it and then know you would have no problems. It also depends on who you are travelling with, I know Virgin requires 6 months on its passports.

I think you can get extensions to your passport but have no idea of the cost, may be something to look at. I am just in the process of getting a new passport for my eldest son but I am sure I saw something on the form saying extending your passport for 2 years, I will have a look when he surfaces.

 

[orangetiggs]

i was in the same position, and I renewed my passport before we went and now I have to renew it to change my name before we fly this year.

I wouldnt want to run the risk as their immigration are quite strict and with a plane of around 300 people they wont want to mess about

 

[wickesy]

US immigration don't require your passport to be valid any time beyond the day you leave the country. HOWEVER some airlines DO insist that you have 6 months left on your passport so you need to check with whoever you are flying with.

 

[Claire L]

Is there any way she can get her married name on the new passport before the wedding as I think that's the problem?

ETA - I've just looked at her countdown - she's travelling out on her maiden name so needs the passport in that name, but doesn't want to renew her passport in that name as she will have to get another new one when she gets home with her married name on it.

You can travel on a passport in your maiden name for as long as you like, as long as the ticket is in the same name, there is nothing in law to say a woman must change her name upon marriage.

Claire

 

[wicket2005]

Just checked through the passport notes, you can extend your existing passport if it has less than a year to go, may be a cheaper option.

 

[Beep]

Hi, thanks for all the replies and info.

We will be travelling with Continental and I got this from their site:

Passport required.
- Passport or passport replacing docs. must be valid for at
least 6 months beyond the date of departure from the U.S.A.
- Nationals of United Kingdom (Great Britain) may enter with
passports valid for period of intended stay.

Although it looks like I will be fine I think for my own peace of mind I will get my passport renued before we go. I'll only be fretting otherwise and for £72 it's not worth it.

 

[meryll83]

Wicket, I think you can only get extensions on limited validity passports, not full ones.

As Claire says, as long as you book your holidays / tickets in the same name as your passport you're fine, so you'll just have to keep booking things in your maiden name for the next 10 years!!

I have exactly the same problem Alex, I'll only have 5 months I think it is left on our return date, so I've got the renewal forms ready, just keep forgetting to get some new photos done - think I'll do it next time I've been to the hairdressers

I started a thread about this some time ago, and although the general consensus was that the UK has an agreement where you can stay in the US as long as your passport is valid, I got reports back that people with less than 6 months remaining, whilst not refused entry, did seem to get held up a bit at immigration and some funny looks, so for me, I'm just gonna get the renewal to be on the safe side!

My mum suggested getting the new one in my married name already, but then I'd have to amend my name on the booking, and then none of my other ID would match yet, and again I thought that might cause more problems than it was worth, as it wouldn't yet be my "official" name!

 

[Claire L]

My mum suggested getting the new one in my married name already, but then I'd have to amend my name on the booking, and then none of my other ID would match yet, and again I thought that might cause more problems than it was worth, as it wouldn't yet be my "official" name!

If when travelling out you are not yet married you cannot travel under your new married name. Although if married before travelling out then can pre arrange for the passport to be in your new married name with certain proof of marriage, not certain what it is but the UK passport website says it all, but once the passport is done cannot travel on it until after your marriage.

Claire

 

[barbarah]

Just for info. Virgin and BA do not insist on 6 months extra on passport expiry from date of return.

I have heard that some charter flights said this, but on provision of embassy print out have allowed travel as the agreement between US and UK allows it.

 

[wicket2005]

Wicket, I think you can only get extensions on limited validity passports, not full ones.

!

Thanks for correcting me.

 

[darthtatty]

i had the same problem when i went out to get married.
had just under 6 months left. i got a new passport before i went and then got a new one when i came home. very expensive.x

glad you decided to renew yours, its always best so you have the peace of mind.

 

[jen_uk]

I travlled once with only 2 months on my passport and it was fine, I flew with Virgin and didn't have any problems at all.

 

[Beep]

Thanks again for all the replies. I will definitely renue it for peace of mind - don't want any funny looks at immigration.

The other thing is that we may not be using my OH's name once we're married (he prefers mine to his) so I might not need to get it changed again, but then he would need to change his so still the same cost either way. Ho-hum...

 

[StephenKay]

Hi there,

This happen to us 3 weeks ago when we arrived at the passport control at Orlando airport on BA 2037. Having waited some 30 mins in line we were chatting to the passport official and he mentioned that we had just been in Oct then he mentioned that my daugthers passport was due to run out on the 12 Feb some 6 weeks time. Big problem, no, he simply said he would make a note of this and wished us happy holidays.

Hopefully this may alay some fears.

 

[meryll83]

Hmm I don't know what to do now, it would be nice to wait until we get back so that I can get my new name on my renewed passport, but I really don't want to experience any issues by having less than 6 months remaining.

It seems like it's all ok though.....

 

[meryll83]

I'm still umming and ahhing about this.
I haven't filled in the form yet, as I'm not wondering whether to risk it....