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Passport validity checker

Enter where you are going, your travel dates and your passport dates to see whether your passport meets the destination's rule, with the rule quoted from an official source.

  • Free
  • Nothing you enter leaves your device
  • Rules checked
Your trip

For the Schengen area, enter the day you leave the last Schengen country.

Your passport

Needed for the Schengen area and Cyprus.

Needed for the United States, and to tell EU, EEA and Swiss citizens they are not covered.

Your result

Choose a destination and enter your dates to see your result.

Your dates stay on this page: nothing is saved or sent. We never ask for your passport number.

How the checker works

Each destination sets its own rule for how long a visitor’s passport must stay valid. The checker works out the date your passport must still be valid on, compares it with your expiry date and tells you how many days you have to spare. No rule is shorter than your trip: whatever a country’s rule, your passport must be valid until the day you leave.

Rules come in a few shapes:

  • Valid for your whole stay: Japan, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Jamaica and the UK.
  • A margin after the day you arrive: 6 months for Thailand, the UAE, China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and many others; 150 days for Turkey; 3 months for Morocco; 1 month for the Maldives.
  • A margin after the day you leave: 3 months for the Schengen area, Cyprus and New Zealand; 30 days for South Africa.
  • An issue date limit: the Schengen area and Cyprus also need a passport issued less than 10 years before you arrive.

If the margin is under 14 days, the result says you are cutting it close. Airlines check passports against the rule before you board and may count months a little differently, so treat a tight margin as a reason to renew.

The 6-month rule

The “6-month rule” is not one law: it is the most common margin among the countries that set one. Several countries count 6 months from the day you arrive, so a two-week holiday in Thailand needs a passport that runs at least 6 months past your arrival. The United States counts 6 months beyond your stay, but citizens of a long list of countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, India and most of Europe, are exempt and only need a passport valid for their stay.

Passport validity for Europe

For a short stay in the Schengen area (29 countries, including France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Greece and Switzerland), the Schengen Borders Code sets two conditions for visitors from outside the EU:

  1. the passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you leave the Schengen area;
  2. it must have been issued within the previous 10 years.

Count the 3 months from the day you leave the last Schengen country, not from the day you leave the first one. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can travel with a valid passport or national ID card and are not covered by this rule. Cyprus is in the EU but not in Schengen and applies the same two conditions at its own border.

Before you book

Check the rule as soon as you have dates, especially if your passport expires within the next year. Renewing takes weeks, and you may need a new passport photo for the application. If you are going to the UK, also check whether you need an ETA; for several Schengen trips, count your days with the Schengen calculator.

Passport validity rules by destination

The rule each destination applies to visitors, with the page it comes from. Rules marked UK advice are from the UK government's travel advice, written for British passports.

Passport validity rules, checked September 30, 2026
DestinationYour passport must beBlank pagesSource
Australiavalid for your whole stay—UK advice
Brazilvalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive—UK advice
Canadavalid for your whole stay—UK advice
Chinavalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive2UK advice
Cyprusvalid at least 3 months after the day you leave, and issued less than 10 years before you arrive1UK advice
Egyptvalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive1UK advice
Indiavalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive2UK advice
Indonesiavalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive2UK advice
Jamaicavalid for your whole stay2UK advice
Japanvalid for your whole stay1UK advice
Kenyavalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive2UK advice
Malaysiavalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive—UK advice
Maldivesvalid at least 1 month after the day you arrive—UK advice
Mexicovalid for your whole stay—UK advice
Moroccovalid at least 3 months after the day you arrive—UK advice
New Zealandvalid at least 3 months after the day you leave—UK advice
Philippinesvalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive—UK advice
Qatarvalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive—UK advice
Saudi Arabiavalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive—UK advice
Schengen area (29 countries)valid at least 3 months after the day you leave, and issued less than 10 years before you arrive—Official rule
Singaporevalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive—UK advice
South Africavalid at least 30 days after the day you leave2UK advice
South Koreavalid beyond the day you leave—UK advice
Sri Lankavalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive—UK advice
Thailandvalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive1UK advice
Turkey (Türkiye)valid at least 150 days after the day you arrive1UK advice
United Arab Emiratesvalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive—UK advice
United Kingdomvalid for your whole stay—Official rule
United Statesvalid at least 6 months after the day you leaveYour whole stay is enough if your country is on the U.S. six-month exemption list—Official rule
Vietnamvalid at least 6 months after the day you arrive2UK advice

Frequently asked questions

What is the 6-month passport rule?

Many countries only let visitors in if their passport is still valid for at least 6 months, counted from the day they arrive or, for some, from the day they leave. Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, China, India and Indonesia are examples. Others, like Japan, Canada and Australia, only ask for a passport that is valid for your whole stay.

How long must my passport be valid for Europe?

For the Schengen area, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave the area, and it must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive. Both conditions apply, so an older passport can be refused even if its expiry date is far away.

Why does the issue date matter in the Schengen area?

The Schengen Borders Code requires a travel document issued within the previous 10 years. Some passports, including UK passports renewed before October 2018, can run for more than 10 years because extra months were added. If yours was issued more than 10 years before your arrival date, it does not meet the rule.

Does the US have a 6-month passport rule?

In principle, yes. US Customs and Border Protection asks visitors for a passport valid for 6 months beyond their stay, but citizens of the countries on its exemption list, which includes the UK, Canada, Australia, India, Mexico and most of Europe, only need a passport valid for their stay. Choose your passport's country in the checker to get the right answer.

Does my passport have to be valid on the day I come home?

Yes. Every destination expects your passport to cover your whole stay, and your airline checks the rule of the country you are flying to before you board. If your passport expires during or soon after a trip, renew it before you travel, because renewing can take weeks.

Do I need ETIAS to travel to Europe?

Not yet. On September 30, 2026, the EU's official site said ETIAS was not in operation and no applications were collected. Until it starts, visa-free visitors only need a passport that meets the Schengen rule above. Be careful with websites that ask you to pay for an ETIAS application now.

What if my destination is not in the list?

The checker covers 30 destinations and every Schengen country. For other countries it says that the rule has not been checked yet. Look at the official government site of the country you are visiting, or its page in the UK government's travel advice, and allow 6 months if you are unsure.

Are my passport details saved or sent?

No. The checker runs in your browser and only uses dates. It never asks for your passport number or name, and nothing you enter is saved on your device or sent to our server. Reloading or closing the page clears it.

Sources

  1. Schengen Borders Code, Regulation (EU) 2016/399, Article 6 (consolidated text of 10 July 2024) (opened )
  2. GOV.UK (FCDO) — United Arab Emirates travel advice: entry requirements (updated July 24, 2026) (opened )
  3. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Australia travel advice: entry requirements (updated March 19, 2026) (opened )
  4. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Brazil travel advice: entry requirements (updated September 29, 2026) (opened )
  5. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Canada travel advice: entry requirements (updated June 2, 2026) (opened )
  6. GOV.UK (FCDO) — China travel advice: entry requirements (updated August 27, 2026) (opened )
  7. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Cyprus travel advice: entry requirements (updated August 14, 2026) (opened )
  8. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Egypt travel advice: entry requirements (updated August 4, 2026) (opened )
  9. GOV.UK (FCDO) — France travel advice: entry requirements (updated August 11, 2026) (opened )
  10. GOV.UK — Entering the UK (updated September 30, 2026) (opened )
  11. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Indonesia travel advice: entry requirements (updated September 18, 2026) (opened )
  12. GOV.UK (FCDO) — India travel advice: entry requirements (updated July 9, 2026) (opened )
  13. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Jamaica travel advice: entry requirements (updated May 6, 2026) (opened )
  14. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Japan travel advice: entry requirements (updated August 28, 2026) (opened )
  15. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Kenya travel advice: entry requirements (updated September 4, 2026) (opened )
  16. GOV.UK (FCDO) — South Korea travel advice: entry requirements (updated May 14, 2026) (opened )
  17. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Sri Lanka travel advice: entry requirements (updated September 21, 2026) (opened )
  18. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Morocco travel advice: entry requirements (updated August 19, 2026) (opened )
  19. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Maldives travel advice: entry requirements (updated August 12, 2026) (opened )
  20. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Mexico travel advice: entry requirements (updated September 28, 2026) (opened )
  21. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Malaysia travel advice: entry requirements (updated March 19, 2026) (opened )
  22. GOV.UK (FCDO) — New Zealand travel advice: entry requirements (updated March 19, 2026) (opened )
  23. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Philippines travel advice: entry requirements (updated July 15, 2026) (opened )
  24. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Qatar travel advice: entry requirements (updated August 19, 2026) (opened )
  25. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Saudi Arabia travel advice: entry requirements (updated September 20, 2026) (opened )
  26. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Singapore travel advice: entry requirements (updated March 19, 2026) (opened )
  27. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Thailand travel advice: entry requirements (updated September 28, 2026) (opened )
  28. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Turkey (Türkiye) travel advice: entry requirements (updated September 21, 2026) (opened )
  29. U.S. Customs and Border Protection — Six-Month Passport Validity Update (Carrier Liaison Program, December 18, 2025) (opened )
  30. GOV.UK (FCDO) — Vietnam travel advice: entry requirements (updated September 21, 2026) (opened )
  31. GOV.UK (FCDO) — South Africa travel advice: entry requirements (updated July 8, 2026) (opened )

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passportvisapic.com is not affiliated with any government. Rules change and airlines may apply them strictly: border officers decide who may enter.