This mistake you should never make with your passport can cost you dearly.
Having an up-to-date passport is not always enough. There is one small detail that we often forget before traveling and it can cost a lot of money and completely ruin your adventure. This small detail is found on your passport, this essential document for international travel, since it allows you to prove your identity by providing personal information, such as your date of birth and your passport photo. It also presents the history of the countries visited, which is essential for authorities to monitor each person’s cross-border movements.
A passport also makes it possible to verify and control the identities of travelers as well as their movements in certain sensitive countries, which allows authorities to combat illegal activities. The validity of the passport is just as important as the document itself. Especially since many countries require that the passport be valid for a specific period beyond the planned return date, often three to six months. A time limit that ensures that the traveler has a valid travel document in the event of an unforeseen extension of stay due to medical emergencies or other unexpected situations.
And herein lies the mistake many people make: forgetting to check the validity of their passport well before planning a trip, in order to avoid complications and denied boarding at the airport. As Katy Nastro, a spokesperson for a flight alert service interviewed by Huffpost, explains, “Many of us simply think that we need a valid passport to travel, but many people do not. don’t realize is that a current passport might not be enough on its own.”
Indeed, many countries in the Middle East, such as Egypt and Iran, or in Asia, such as Vietnam, Thailand or the Maldives, require that your passport be valid beyond the expected date. of your return. For example, if you are going to Vietnam in July, your passport must be valid until at least January. “If you arrive at the airport with a passport that does not have this validity, some airlines may refuse to let you board, thus jeopardizing your trip,” points out Katy Nastro. Each country has different requirements for passport validity, which depend on various factors, including immigration policies, bilateral agreements and other security issues.
To avoid any inconvenience, it is recommended to renew your passport one year before it expires. This helps ensure that you are always compliant with the requirements of the countries you wish to visit. Additionally, in case of expedited processing, you will receive your new passport quickly. Given the delays in certain French municipalities, it is all the more important to do so in advance.