How Far in Advance Can I Renew My Passport?

Checking your passport has enough validity for an upcoming international trip is essential. Traveling with a passport that’s due to expire shortly could mean you’re denied entry to some countries.

In this post, we explain how soon you can renew a passport with an upcoming expiry date, and how the validity period of your travel document can affect visa applications.

Common Reasons for Renewing Your Passport

The most common reasons for passport renewal include:

If you’re traveling internationally, your passport must remain valid throughout your trip.

Travel Dates and Your Passport’s Validity Period

Should your passport expire while you are away, you’ll be unable to make your return journey without obtaining a new passport or emergency travel document.

Even if your passport will be valid, but is due to expire soon after your return date, it’s advisable to renew it in advance. Most countries require you to have at least 6 months’ validity on your document to enter.

Before you reach border control, you may encounter issues when traveling with a passport with a short remaining validity period.

Some airline carriers or international passenger ship operators will refuse to accept travelers checking in with a passport that is due to expire in less than 6 months.

What’s the Easiest Way To Renew My Passport?

How you can request a new passport depends on several factors, including:

Each country has its own system for distributing passports to its citizens. Check official information from your passport’s issuing country about how to renew it.

If you’re applying from outside the issuing country, you may have to complete extra security steps.

All nations have protocols for emergency requests, such as your passport being lost while on vacation. In most cases, you must visit an embassy or consulate to get an emergency travel document that allows you to get home.

Following this, you’ll need to follow the usual application system to get a new regular passport.

When Should You Renew Your Passport?

In most countries, you can renew your passport at almost any time within its validity period. However, it’s only recommended to do so more than 9 months to 1 year ahead of its expiry in unavoidable circumstances, like loss or theft.

The ideal time to renew your passport is about 9 months before its expiration. This allows you enough time to get your new travel document processed before your next international journey.

Your passport’s issuing country may have specific requirements or guidance on when to request a renewal. Visit the official website of your government’s passport service to get details.

Why Is It Important to Renew a Passport Before Its Expiration?

Renewing your passport well in advance is recommended so that you’ll be able to travel as flexibly as possible.

Submitting a passport renewal application can take several weeks or even months for a government to process.

Renewing a passport also usually takes longer at peak travel times of the year, such as summer vacations or major holidays like Christmas.

If you need to go abroad urgently, not having a valid travel document could prevent you from being able to make the journey. Therefore, It's important to plan ahead to make sure your passport doesn’t expire at a time when you really need it.

Can I Apply for a Visa with a Passport That’s About to Expire?

Applying for a visa with a passport that is about to expire is not recommended.

Some countries will not process a visa application if you provide data from a passport that will expire within a couple of months.

Many nations require visitors to have a minimum number of months’ validity on their passports when they arrive at their borders. In most cases, these visa requirements oblige you to have at least 6 months left on the document.

Evisas, electronic visa waivers, and visas are processed to match the exact passport data provided during an application. If information like your passport number changes, the travel authorization linked to it will need to be updated or renewed too.

Short-term visas are usually not transferable from your old passport to your new one, so before you apply, it’s a good idea to get your passport renewed.