# Help!: Passport Expiration and Possible Dilemma **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 14, 2007, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058 "2007-04-14T03:45:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/1 "2007-04-14T03:45:15Z")
Well, tomorrow (Saturday April 14) I travel to Tampa, Florida, from Ottawa, Canada. My passport expires on April 19; my itinerary clearly shows that I’m due to arrive back in Canada on April 18. This is a business trip. It would suck if I got rejected due to passport dates. Should I be worried? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/2 "2007-04-14T04:02:56Z")
I don’t know. I’ve heard that some countries want travellers to have at least six months left on their passports when entering, but I never understood why. Possibly if your exit flight got delayed or something, you’d be in the country without valid identification, and they want to prevent that, but that’s just a guess. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/3 "2007-04-14T04:04:07Z")
Perhaps it’s different in your neck of the woods, and for trips between Canada and the USA, but I’d certainly be worried. Here if there’s less than six months’ validity left on your passport you start to face serious difficulties. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/4 "2007-04-14T04:07:02Z")
The Passport Office has this to say: > [@](#): > > If I travel by air, does my passport need to be valid for any length of time prior to the date of my entry into the US? > > No, as long as the passport is valid the day you return to Canada. (from [http://www.ppt.gc.ca/help/faq.aspx?lang=e&id=1140](http://www.ppt.gc.ca/help/faq.aspx?lang=e&id=1140) ) Seems to imply that there is no requirement for duration in the US, but it’s not a particularly clear answer. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/5 "2007-04-14T04:17:45Z")
[QUOTE=Sunspace] I don’t know. I’ve heard that some countries want travellers to have at least six months left on their passports when entering, but I never understood why. Possibly if your exit flight got delayed or something, you’d be in the country without valid identification, and they want to prevent that, but that’s just a guess. [/QUOTE] I don’t know the whole back story, but [the U.S. and Canada are both parties to a treaty on this very issue.](http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/visa/niv/sixmonth.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/6 "2007-04-14T04:23:12Z")
Ahhh… here it is. [Travellers’ Checklist](http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/checklist-en.asp): > [@](#): > > Some countries require that your passport be valid for six months beyond your date of entry. If your passport is due to expire within six months of your departure from Canada, check the Country Travel Report for your destination to establish whether the six-month rule applies. And the [Travel Report for the US](http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/report-en.asp?country=308000) says nothing specific about length of passport validity. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/7 "2007-04-14T04:24:45Z")
[QUOTE=Eva Luna] I don’t know the whole back story, but [the U.S. and Canada are both parties to a treaty on this very issue.](http://london.usembassy.gov/cons_new/visa/niv/sixmonth.html) [/QUOTE] Wow. The one elusive fact I couldn’t find. Thanks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/8 "2007-04-14T04:27:02Z")
Print it out and take it with you. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/9 "2007-04-14T04:32:05Z")
Thanks all. At this point I have no recourse but to attempt my travel plan and report back. Stay tuned… ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/10 "2007-04-14T04:33:57Z")
Just don’t look skeered when you go. You’re doing nothing wrong at all so don’t let yourself worry about it. Oh, and have a great time. I’ve been there a couple times and really like it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/11 "2007-04-14T13:39:09Z")
Leaving for the airport now. I’ll let y’all know if I make it or not… ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/12 "2007-04-15T03:29:23Z")
Greetings from sunny Florida. No one even mentioned my passport date. Much ado about nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/13 "2007-04-15T03:33:49Z")
That’s what you think–are you sure you can get home? Admittedly all my horror stories of people not being able to get home again come from US boarder patrol people looking harder at people trying to cross back over to the American Side from Canada and not the other way around, but . . . ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/14 "2007-04-15T03:45:34Z")
Pffff… It’s 80 degrees here. Maybe they’ll make me stay… Anyway, I highly doubt Canada would reject me when I arrive at the boarder with a still valid passport. Admittedly it will expire within 24 hours, but still why would I be rejected? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/15 "2007-04-15T17:03:55Z")
[QUOTE=Leaffan] Pffff.. It’s 80 degrees here. Maybe they’ll make me stay… Anyway, I highly doubt Canada would reject me when I arrive at the boarder with a still valid passport. Admittedly it will expire within 24 hours, but still why would I be rejected? [/QUOTE] Was it you brought the crap weather with you? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/16 "2007-04-15T17:33:14Z")
My boss had to send his current passport off to get a a China visa at the same time that he was due to travel to Canada. He was able to use one of his (expired) passports and his driver’s license. I think it had to be issued within 10 years. That was a year of so ago. The rules may have changed since then. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2007, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-passport-expiration-and-possible-dilemma/400058/17 "2007-04-21T06:46:05Z")
Just to close this thread: When I arrived home, the customs official commented on my passport’s expiration date, but had no reason to interrogate me otherwise. In fact, my bags weren’t subjected to any extraneous screening either. So, pretty much a non-issue.