The 3-month passport rule — what it is and where it applies

Not every country wants 6 months on your passport. Plenty of major destinations only ask for 3 — but that doesn't mean you can cut it fine.

What the 3-month rule says

Your passport must remain valid for at least 3 months beyond your intended date of departure from the country (not your date of entry). For a 2-week trip, that means you need roughly 3 months and 2 weeks left on the day you arrive.

Where it applies

The 3-month rule is the official Schengen Area rule — used by France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece, the Netherlands, and the rest of the 29 Schengen countries. Schengen also adds the "10-year rule": your passport must have been issued no more than 10 years before the day you enter.

Outside Schengen, New Zealand and a handful of smaller countries also use the 3-month rule.

How it differs from the 6-month rule

The 6-month rule is much stricter and is used by Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Singapore and many others. Travellers heading to multiple countries on one trip need to plan around the strictest rule on their itinerary, not the country they're flying to first.

The safe rule of thumb

If your passport has less than 6 months left when you travel, treat every trip as borderline and check the destination rule before booking. Use the country-by-country list to confirm.