Picture this… you’re at the airport, ready to board your flight to that dream destination you have been wanting to go to for ages. Only to be told by the gate agent that your passport isn’t valid. Wait, what?
There are a few things that many people forget to look at on their passport before heading out on a vacation—and they’re things that could ultimately affect your entire trip. From visas to passport expiration dates (which are far more confusing than you may think), we narrow down three essential passport tips you need to check before you book your next flight.
1. Check Your Passport Expiration Date (It’s More Complicated Than You Think)
One of the most common oversights on a passport is checking the expiry date. Sure, you may have a general idea of when it expires, but that expiry date might not actually be accurate enough. Why? Many countries require a passport to be valid for six months after your intended visit.
So, just because your passport expires on December 31st and you’re flying to Portugal on December 1st, you actually need your passport to be valid for six months after your intended trip for it to be considered valid. This will often get flagged at your check-in period—when you enter passport information. Unfortunately, that is too late to get your passport updated.
Rule of thumb: Renew your passport one year prior to the expiration date listed in your passport. That will ensure you not only won’t have the ordeal of it not being valid for long enough, but it will also give you ample time to have it renewed should there be a delay in the passport processing system.
2. Make Sure Your Passport Has Enough Blank Pages for Visas
Your passport is so full of all these amazing stamps collected from around the world—yay, you! But before you jet off on your next adventure, check to see how many fully available pages you have left (meaning no stamps or marks on them at all).
Some countries require 1–2 fully empty pages in your passport to insert a new visa (some visas may take up an entire page). Failure to have these pages available could mean that your visa or entry will be denied—either before you leave if you apply for the visa in advance, or at the port of entry. And you guessed it, by that point it’s likely too late to get a new rushed passport.
3. Fill Out Passport Contact Information Before You Travel
Many people miss the page at the front of the passport where you are supposed to fill out contact information, and some even forget to sign their passport! It doesn’t seem like a big deal to fill it out, but it will be a big deal if you happen to lose your passport. That information will be invaluable if your passport is found by someone who can then mail it back to you or call you—whether they do so themselves or hand it off to local authorities or your embassy.
Extra tip: It’s also important to either have paper copies of your current passport or photos on your phone. This will make the process of obtaining an emergency passport, or the return of your original passport, much easier.
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