Don't let this passport mistake ruin your dream vacation

You’ve got a big overseas trip planned in December, just before your passport expires in February. Great timing, right?

Wrong.

Depending on the destination, your soon-to-expire passport might not be sufficient. That’s because some countries require visitors to have three or six months left on their passport beyond the date of their stay. If you hold a passport that doesn’t meet a country’s requirement, the airline might not even let you fly.

“Over my long career, I’ve dealt with a lot of travelers who have had this issue,” said John Rose, chief risk officer for the travel agency Altour. He said travel specialists frequently help clients who are panicked about their passport status. “It’s just really stressful because they’re sitting there on pins and needles.”

What is the six-month rule?

Some destinations, such as the United Kingdom, allow U.S. citizens to visit if their passport is valid for the duration of their stay. Many require at least six months to be left before the expiration date. Others have a three-month requirement.

Experts say the rule exists because countries don’t want visitors to stay longer than allowed - and to ensure they have all the necessary documents when they try to return home, especially if their trip has been extended for some reason.

Which countries have a six-month rule?

The U.S. State Department says people can find details on their destination by searching the department’s country information pages online.

The department recommends that U.S. travelers have six months left on their passports if they are traveling in Europe’s Schengen Area, which includes most of the European Union (except for Cyprus and Ireland) as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. That recommendation stands even if a country only requires three months of validity to avoid potential travel problems.

Some popular countries that require a six-month buffer include:

-Singapore

-Turkey

-Thailand

-Indonesia

What do I do if I can’t travel with my passport?

Don’t lose hope. If you discover your passport won’t meet the requirements shortly before your trip, you might be able to scramble to get a new one.

The State Department explains the process online and includes links to try to schedule an appointment at a passport agency for urgent travel. To meet that definition, travelers must have a trip coming up within 14 days and be able to provide proof of their plans, such as an itinerary, hotel reservation or receipt for a plane ticket.

The department cautions that there is a “limited supply of appointments” in person at passport agencies; many states don’t even have an office.

There is an extra $60 fee for expediting the passport.

When should I renew my passport?

The State Department recommends that people “start planning to renew once the passport has one year of validity left,” the department said in a statement. Travelers should bear in mind their departure dates, the validity requirements for the country they’re visiting and current processing times. There is no limit to how early a passport can be renewed, the statement added.

Travelers can now renew their passports online at any time. The routine processing time for passports is down to four to six weeks as of earlier this month.

Rose said he advises people to renew their passports a year ahead of expiration.

“The new system to do it online is fantastic,” he said. “It’s exponentially faster.”