If you’re planning on traveling outside the country in the near future, be sure to check your passport’s expiration date. If it’s set to expire less than three to six months after your date of your travel, you may have trouble entering or leaving your destination and certain airlines may not allow you to board connecting flights.
The “three-month” nations
Most notably, the Schengen region of Europe—29 countries allowing free movement to European Union residents and non-EU tourists—requires your passport to be valid for at least three months after your dates of travel.
The “six-month” nations
Many popular destinations in Asia, including China, India, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam (but not Japan), require your password to be valid for at least six months after your travel dates. Most Middle East countries, Colombia and some Caribbean nations also follow the “six-month” rule.
What about traveling in the U.S?
For domestic travel, a valid U.S. passport may be used for TSA identification purposes for up to two years after it expires.
Figuring out which rules apply
You can look up passport requirements and other travel advisories for any country at the U.S. State Department’s International Travel website.
If you need to renew your passport, you can now do it online using a digital photograph you can take yourself.
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This article was authored by David Jaeger and Jeffrey Briskin. David is a financial advisor with Canby Financial Advisors, LLC, an Investment Adviser registered with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement by the SEC nor a statement about any skill or ability. David can be reached at 508.598.1082 or djaeger@canbyfinancial.com. Jeffrey Briskin is Director of Marketing at Canby Financial Advisors.
©2026 Canby Financial Advisors, LLC.