Travelling on a passport that is *almost* expired... is it ok?

My 5 year old son's passport expires at the end of May this year, . We are flying from Chicago to London in 2 weeks, for a two week stay, returning mid May. So technically he's flying on a completely 100% valid passport.

But tonight at dinner with friends, they said that you can't travel on a passpot that is expiring within 3 months of the travel date.

I'm wondering:

A. Is this true? My US Citizen son travelling to the UK and back to the US on a passport set to expire 2 weeks after we return from our trip?

or

B. Is this only true for THEM. My friends are French, and I'm wondering if the rules are different for foreigners entering the US, only able to use a passport set to expire at least 3 months out.

I need to know if I need to rush around and get an expedited passport!

I know for prior entry clearance they require a minimum of 6 months validity on a passport in order to issue the visa. However, on the UKBA website for 'visa waiver' (I know that this is the term for those arriving in the US not the UK) it only states that:

(http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/travellingtotheuk/Enteringtheuk/arrivingatukborder/)
What travel documents are accepted at the border?
You must be the legal holder of a genuine document. Your documents must be valid and issued by a government or authority.

Just states must be valid and not for how long. The only thing that I think that the IO would do is just stamp your son in for the 2 week visit and not for 6 months.

But, if you're that concerned about it you still have time to renew his passport before you leave as renewals (not express renewals) are taking about 10 calendar days in the United States. Because your son is under 16 you'll have to apply for it in person at an application center or approved facility (IE post office or county clerks office) http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/renew/renew_833.html .

According to the ECTIS form, anyone travelling to the US on the visa waiver must have a passport valid for six months after the date of return to the UK.

For travel to the UK, I agree that he will probably be stamped in for two weeks.  The only issue I would worry about is what the airline policy is.  Extend if you can.

Vicky

According to the ECTIS form, anyone travelling to the US on the visa waiver must have a passport valid for six months after the date of return to the UK.

For travel to the UK, I agree that he will probably be stamped in for two weeks.  The only issue I would worry about is what the airline policy is.  Extend if you can.

Vicky

I may be wrong but I think the six months of validity also applies in the "opposite direction" travelling from the US to the UK, at least it did for me as a British citizen living as a permanent resident in the US.

Last year my passport was set to expire in September, but my travel date to fly to the UK was July. My memories of all the details are vague now but somewhere along the line, be it the airline, the travel agent, I'm not sure now, but SOMEONE in the industry told me I would not be permitted to board my plane to leave the country for overseas on a passport that had only two months validity left on it, regardless of when I thought I would be returning to the US (which was never; I was moving to the UK for good).

As stated, this was on a British passport but I got the impression that didn't matter -- my UK boyfriend also was told the six month rule for entering the US, so it seemed like from either country the border wanted to see at least six months validity; it seemed to be the universal magic number regardless of which country's authority, and less than that meant you needed to renew your passport before travel.

Hope this helps for what it's worth. If I were the OP, I would go ahead and renew the son's passport even though it doesn't expire until two weeks after you have returned to the US.

This has come up before about a month ago, and I also dug up a reference that you need 6 months' validity to travel to the UK. But then someone else (historyenne, I think) found that this rule doesn't apply to the US.

I tried searching for that thread, but I can't find it for some reason.

This has come up before about a month ago, and I also dug up a reference that you need 6 months' validity to travel to the UK. But then someone else (historyenne, I think) found that this rule doesn't apply to the US.

I tried searching for that thread, but I can't find it for some reason.

I found it!  http://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=50669.0 

So I called the US National Passport Information Center this morning, 9:47am April 13, 2009. Only had to wait 30 minutes and chatted to a very helpful lady.

This is the exact question I asked her:

Me: My son and I are travelling to England in 2 weeks time for a 2 week visit. We are both American citizens with US passports. His passport expires 20 days after we return home from our vacation. Will he have any problems entering the UK, or reentering the US, with a passport that is expiring so shortly after our return?

Nice Lady:  "One second here, let me look that up...  There should be no problem.  As a USC travelling to the UK, you are allowed to travel as long as your passport is valid and doesn’t expire while you are overseas and he isn't there to study or stay for any other reason than your short visit."

I've also sent an email out to United just to double check that *they* aren't going to be a pain about it.

I'm glad I don't have to renew now, pay for expedited service, and take both boys into a passport office to do all this. My husband is gone for 9 days and I'm struggling enough as it is to get my teeth brushed every day, let alone a huge project! Thanks everyone for your help. 

Glad to hear you don't have to go through this extra hassle! I know I was told I couldn't travel even with two months validity left on mine although my circumstances were different (nationality included). I was under the impression six months was some kind of universal thing but you have gone to the horse's mouth so you info should be golden -- best wishes with everything.

I didn't go into lots of details with her, but what I do know is that there is almost always a difference even in the two "same" situations, like perhaps it isn't a big deal cause he's only 5? If I had asked and he was 18, would she have told me something else? Dunno... but for us, for right now, I'm glad I don't have to put up with the hassle... and can get his new passport (along with his british one) when we return in May.

 My memories of all the details are vague now but somewhere along the line, be it the airline, the travel agent, I'm not sure now, but SOMEONE in the industry told me I would not be permitted to board my plane to leave the country for overseas on a passport that had only two months validity left on it, regardless of when I thought I would be returning to the US (which was never; I was moving to the UK for good).

They told you that, as a UK passport holder, you would not be able to enter the UK on your UK passport, because it didn't have six months validity?  That is a crock.

Vicky