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U.S. Passports
Adult passports for United States citizens are valid for ten years from the date granted. A minor's passport is valid for five years.
Canadian Passports
Passports for Canadian adults and children (ages 3 to 15) are valid for a maximum of five years, while the passports of children under age 3 are valid for only three years.
Destination Country Requirements
Many countries require three to six months of validity on a foreign passport from the date of entry or the proposed date of exit from the country. Before traveling, check with your destination country's consulate or embassy. Travelers having valid passports, but not the required amount of validity, are often refused entry or not allowed to board flights.
Passport Renewal
Make sure to renew your passport six to eight months before it expires so that you will be able to travel without restrictions. Note that wait times for passport renewals can be long (sometimes six to eight weeks), so start the process well before the expiration date or date of intended travel.
Other Considerations
Passports may also become invalid for travel if all the visa pages are filled. Many countries offer extra passport pages as a stop-gap measure, but once your passport book is completely filled up you will need to apply for a new one. When you apply for a visa to a foreign country, at least two blank visa pages are usually required.
Article Written By Heather Carreiro
Heather Carreiro is a certified English teacher who has been writing since 2008. The editor of Matador Abroad, her work has appeared online at BootsnAll, Matador Network, GoNOMAD, Journey Beyond Travel and Expat Women. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics and Middle Eastern studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and is pursuing a Master of Arts in English at Bridgewater State University.
