WWYD: passport renewal

[Anonymous]

I am taking a trip to the UK in a month. It will be about a week in London and Scotland. My passport expires about a month after I return, so just over two months from now. Would you renew your passport in advance or just wait until after the trip?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am taking a trip to the UK in a month. It will be about a week in London and Scotland. My passport expires about a month after I return, so just over two months from now. Would you renew your passport in advance or just wait until after the trip?

Most countries won't admit you if your passport is within 6 months of expiring.

[Anonymous]

I'd probably wait, so as not to be concerned about not getting it back in time to take the trip or paying a bunch in expedite fees. It looks like the UK only requires that your passport be valid "for the whole of your stay," so doesn't seem like you need to worry about its upcoming expiration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am taking a trip to the UK in a month. It will be about a week in London and Scotland. My passport expires about a month after I return, so just over two months from now. Would you renew your passport in advance or just wait until after the trip?

Most countries won't admit you if your passport is within 6 months of expiring.

Actually it looks like there is a special agreement with the UK, but still I would renew it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am taking a trip to the UK in a month. It will be about a week in London and Scotland. My passport expires about a month after I return, so just over two months from now. Would you renew your passport in advance or just wait until after the trip?

Most countries won't admit you if your passport is within 6 months of expiring.

+1

Renew it now, otherwise customs/immigration may actually turn you away or at the very least interrogate you.

[Anonymous]

OP here. UKBA states the only requirement is for the passport to be valid for the entirety of your stay, which is why I'm inclined to do nothing. I lived in the UK before and my passport is full of entry stamps, so I tend to get asked a few questions anyway when I enter. I really want to save the money as this is a last-minute trip, or I would have renewed it earlier this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. UKBA states the only requirement is for the passport to be valid for the entirety of your stay, which is why I'm inclined to do nothing. I lived in the UK before and my passport is full of entry stamps, so I tend to get asked a few questions anyway when I enter. I really want to save the money as this is a last-minute trip, or I would have renewed it earlier this year.

So then what was the point of asking?

[Anonymous]

I didn't say I wasn't going to renew it for sure, just that I wanted to avoid paying the fees if possible. I am trying to get opinions. Geez.

[Anonymous]

I was in UK this summer, and left one week before my passport expired. It was fine.

Also, it took less than two weeks for me to have my new passport in my hand after applying for the renewal in August, but we also live overseas so I'm not sure if that is faster if you do it at an overseas US Embassy rather than in the US. They did tell me that it could take "over a month" to get the passport because of "issues right now" with passports, but it was super fast, and one of my colleagues got hers within one week.

[Anonymous]

Thank you! That's very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am taking a trip to the UK in a month. It will be about a week in London and Scotland. My passport expires about a month after I return, so just over two months from now. Would you renew your passport in advance or just wait until after the trip?

You actually must have at least 6 months on your passport to travel to some countries. You should check ahead of time, but renew in advance in any event. With the state of the world you never know what will happen which is why the rule was created.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am taking a trip to the UK in a month. It will be about a week in London and Scotland. My passport expires about a month after I return, so just over two months from now. Would you renew your passport in advance or just wait until after the trip?

Most countries won't admit you if your passport is within 6 months of expiring.

Not most but there are quite a few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. UKBA states the only requirement is for the passport to be valid for the entirety of your stay, which is why I'm inclined to do nothing. I lived in the UK before and my passport is full of entry stamps, so I tend to get asked a few questions anyway when I enter. I really want to save the money as this is a last-minute trip, or I would have renewed it earlier this year.

You won't be saving money if for some reason you get stuck and your passport expires on you. Unexpected events have been known to happen. Better safe than sorry. If you mind is telling you to do then do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am taking a trip to the UK in a month. It will be about a week in London and Scotland. My passport expires about a month after I return, so just over two months from now. Would you renew your passport in advance or just wait until after the trip?

You actually must have at least 6 months on your passport to travel to some countries. You should check ahead of time, but renew in advance in any event. With the state of the world you never know what will happen which is why the rule was created.

That is a very good point...

[Anonymous]

Make certain you have no connecting flights through another country. A friend was turned away on her flight to Spain. Spain had no issue with her expiring passport but she was to connect through France and they would not allow it.