Passport validity by destination: the six-month rule and the others
Enter your expiration date and trip dates: the checker applies the rule the State Department lists for your destination and says when to renew.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Peru · passport validity
Renew before this trip
Must be valid until June 16, 2027
| Rule for Peru | valid 6 months after you arrive |
|---|---|
| Must be valid at least until | June 16, 2027 |
| Margin | 30 days short |
| Mail a routine renewal by | October 7, 2026 |
How this was calculated
- Rule read in the State Department’s country information for Peru (Consular Affairs data, checked 2026-10-15). Airlines may apply a stricter rule at check-in, and transit countries have their own.
- The renewal date assumes the slowest published times: 2 weeks of mail each way plus 6 weeks of routine processing.
Estimate from the State Department’s published fees and processing times. Mailing times vary and the Department decides each case. Independent site, not affiliated with the Department of State; we sell no expediting service. Method and sources
There is no single six-month rule for U.S. passports. Each country sets its own requirement, and the State Department’s country pages describe five kinds. Some want six months of validity counted from the day you arrive: among the 26 destinations covered here, that is the case of Peru, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Honduras, Thailand and China. Vietnam and the Philippines count six months from the end of your stay, and India six months from the date you apply for its visa. The Schengen countries count three months after you leave the area, and the State Department advises six months for France, Spain, Germany and Greece. Japan, the United Kingdom and Costa Rica only require validity for the whole stay, while 9 destinations, Mexico and Canada among them, ask for a passport valid on entry. For a trip from April 5, 2027 to April 19, 2027, a six-months-from-arrival country needs a passport valid until October 5, 2027, and a Schengen country until July 19, 2027.
Five ways countries count validity
The State Department’s country information pages, which this site reads through the Consular Affairs data service (and, for the Philippines and India, on the country page itself), use five different measures. The strictest counts forward from the day you land: six months after entry in Peru, where travelers with less are refused, and in Türkiye, the Emirates, Honduras, Thailand and China. Vietnam and the Philippines are stricter still in practice, since their six months start when your planned stay ends. India counts from the day you apply for its visa, before the trip. Europe’s Schengen area uses three months after the date you intend to leave the area, a rule that applies once across all its members. Finally, some countries simply want the passport valid while you are there, or on the day you cross the border.
The table below this text lists the rule for each of the 26 destinations, with the State Department’s advice where it goes further than the legal minimum. The most visited destinations have their own page; for the others, the official wording is quoted word for word further down, with the date it was last updated, and the checker applies their rule all the same.
Why the airline matters as much as the border
Check-in agents apply the destination’s rule before you board, and they often read it strictly. Japan’s page notes that airlines there may refuse travelers whose passport has less than six months left, even though Japan itself only requires validity for the stay. A connection adds the rule of the transit country. When you are near any threshold, renewing first is cheaper than a missed flight.
Turning the rule into a renewal date
The checker subtracts the slowest published routine path, mail both ways plus processing, from your arrival date. If that day has passed, expedited service or an appointment at a passport agency within 14 days of travel are the remaining options. Online renewal needs 6 weeks without travel, so it rarely fits a short deadline.
Validity rule for 26 destinations
| Destination | Passport must be | Advised | Passport card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | valid on entry, no minimum written | – | land and sea |
| China | 6 months after arrival | – | no |
| Colombia | valid on entry, no minimum written | – | no |
| Costa Rica | valid for the whole stay | – | no |
| Dominican Republic | valid on entry, no minimum written | – | no |
| El Salvador | valid on entry, no minimum written | – | no |
| France | 3 months after departure | 6 months | no |
| Germany | 3 months after departure | 6 months | no |
| Greece | 3 months after departure | 6 months | no |
| Guatemala | valid on entry, no minimum written | – | no |
| Honduras | 6 months after arrival | – | no |
| India | 6 months after the visa application | – | no |
| Ireland | valid on entry, no minimum written | whole stay | no |
| Italy | 3 months after departure | – | no |
| Jamaica | valid on entry, no minimum written | – | cruise only |
| Japan | valid for the whole stay | – | no |
| Mexico | valid on entry, no minimum written | – | land and sea |
| Peru | 6 months after arrival | – | no |
| Philippines | 6 months after departure | – | no |
| Spain | 3 months after departure | 6 months | no |
| Thailand | 6 months after arrival | – | no |
| The Bahamas | valid on entry, no minimum written | – | cruise only |
| Türkiye (Turkey) | 6 months after arrival | – | no |
| United Arab Emirates | 6 months after arrival | – | no |
| United Kingdom | valid for the whole stay | – | no |
| Vietnam | 6 months after departure | – | no |
Official wording for 9 more destinations
These destinations have no page of their own; the checker above applies their rule. Open one to read the State Department’s wording, quoted word for word.
China · 6 months after arrival
Rule: passport 6 months after arrival. If your visa sits in an old passport, the details on the valid passport and the visa must match exactly.
“You must obtain a visa prior to arriving in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Your passport must have at least six months' validity remaining.”
“Transiting without a visa requires a valid passport with at least six months of remaining validity, a visa for your onward destination (if required), and an onward ticket from the same city.”
State Department country page, updated March 12, 2026; read on October 15, 2026. Pick this destination in the checker above to get your own dates.
Germany · 3 months after departure
Rule: passport 3 months after departure; the State Department advises 6 months. Germany is in the Schengen area: the three months count from the day you leave the last Schengen country, not Germany.
“Your passport should be valid for at least 3 months beyond your period of stay if you plan on transiting a Schengen country.”
“We recommend you have at least 6 month’s validity remaining.”
State Department country page, updated August 11, 2025; read on October 15, 2026. Pick this destination in the checker above to get your own dates.
Greece · 3 months after departure
Rule: passport 3 months after departure; the State Department advises 6 months. The State Department recommends six months to avoid disruptions on connections.
“For entry into Greece, your passport should have at least six months of remaining validity.”
“While Greek law requires three months of passport validity beyond the intended date of your departure, if you are transiting a country that requires six months of validity, you may not be permitted to continue your trip.”
State Department country page, updated February 19, 2026; read on October 15, 2026. Pick this destination in the checker above to get your own dates.
Guatemala · valid on entry, no minimum written
Rule: passport valid on entry, no minimum written. 1 blank visa page required. An electronic immigration form is filled in to enter and to leave; stays are usually 90 days.
“To enter Guatemala, you need a U.S. passport that is valid when you arrive with at least one blank page for an entry and exit stamp.”
“There is no required minimum validity period for a U.S. passport, and U.S. citizens do not need a visa.”
State Department country page, updated June 11, 2026; read on October 15, 2026. Pick this destination in the checker above to get your own dates.
Honduras · 6 months after arrival
Rule: passport 6 months after arrival. No visa for tourist stays up to 90 days.
“To enter Honduras, you need: A U.S. passport with at least six months validity. Evidence of onward travel.”
State Department country page, updated August 13, 2026; read on October 15, 2026. Pick this destination in the checker above to get your own dates.
Peru · 6 months after arrival
Rule: passport 6 months after arrival. Keep the entry record: without it you cannot leave until immigration confirms when you arrived.
“Peru requires everyone entering the country to have passports valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Peru.”
“Travelers with less than six months validity in their passports will be refused entry into Peru.”
State Department country page, updated August 20, 2026; read on October 15, 2026. Pick this destination in the checker above to get your own dates.
Türkiye (Turkey) · 6 months after arrival
Rule: passport 6 months after arrival. Ordinary passport holders are exempt from a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
“Passports must be valid for six months beyond your entry date.”
“You will be denied entry into Turkey if there is not enough space for entry and exit stamps in your passport.”
State Department country page, updated June 11, 2026; read on October 15, 2026. Pick this destination in the checker above to get your own dates.
United Arab Emirates · 6 months after arrival
Rule: passport 6 months after arrival. The rule applies at every UAE port of entry, Dubai and Abu Dhabi included.
“Passport Validity: A passport valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry is required to enter the UAE.”
State Department country page, updated September 17, 2026; read on October 15, 2026. Pick this destination in the checker above to get your own dates.
Vietnam · 6 months after departure
Rule: passport 6 months after departure. 1 blank visa page required. E-visas are issued for the period requested: a delayed departure means overstay fines.
“You must have a valid passport and a visa (or pre-approval for a visa on arrival) to enter Vietnam.”
“Your passport must be valid for six months beyond your planned stay, and you must have at least one blank visa page (not including the endorsement page).”
State Department country page, updated July 2, 2026; read on October 15, 2026. Pick this destination in the checker above to get your own dates.