Will my recently obtained US passport get me into Spain?

May 24, 2007 4:37 PM

Will my recently obtained US passport get me into Spain?

I just received my passport in the mail last week. The date issued is listed as April 15, 2007. I had bought tickets to Spain for a 10 day stay flying there on July 1st. I just read the "If your passport has less than 6 months' validity, be aware that some countries will not permit you to enter or will not place a visa in your passport" warning in the little pamphlet that comes with the passport a few minutes ago and am currently freaking out thinking I just wasted $5k on my plane tickets and hotel reservations.

Am I not going to be permitted in the country? I've read the information listed here and I think I'm just too frazzled to make sense of it. Can someone knowledgeable on the subject please let me know? I tried calling the Spanish embassy in DC, but they're closed right now and I feel like I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight until I know one way or the other.

Please let me now if you need more info or anything.

posted by educatedslacker to travel & transportation (8 comments total)

That's 6 months validity left actually. You're fine.
posted by kickingtheground at 4:41 PM on May 24, 2007

right on
posted by matteo at 4:42 PM on May 24, 2007

kickingtheground has it. Sleep well.
posted by blue mustard at 4:46 PM on May 24, 2007

This from your link:

Some countries require that your U.S. passport be valid at least 6 months or longer beyond the dates of your trip. If your passport expires before the required validity, you will have to apply for a new one.

The language could always be clearer so I took the liberty of bolding above. It is as the folks above say.
posted by vacapinta at 4:56 PM on May 24, 2007

I love this site. Thank you all so very much. I can read again! It's all so clear now.
posted by educatedslacker at 5:55 PM on May 24, 2007

For future reference, it all depends on the airline. We just went to Mexico and my son's passport expired at midnight of the day we returned. Either no one ever noticed, or they don't really care. I did call the airlines (American going, Alaska coming back) prior to leaving and they said not to worry about it.
posted by johngumbo at 6:48 PM on May 24, 2007

For future reference. Almost every country on the planet insists that your passport be valid for the maximum possible stay on the admitting visa -- the only exception is a permanent resident visa.

Almost all tourist visa and visa-waiver visas are valid for six months.

Therefore -- if you plan on going anywhere, you need to have day of travel + 6 months validity on your passport. Airlines assume that if you've got six months, you'll be find (and this is a pretty good test.)
posted by eriko at 8:49 PM on May 24, 2007

Watch your wallet / bag if you go to Barcelona. Money belts are best.

Just sayin'.
posted by chuckdarwin at 3:54 AM on May 25, 2007