Passport expiring, reentry ok?

[10years]

My US passport will be expiring next year. I'm planning on entering Thailand this year with more than six months remaining on my passport, but reentering from a short jaunt with less than six months remaining to catch my return flight home. Will there be any problem with Thai immigration or the airlines?

 

I don't have enough time to renew my passport safely before my Thailand trip and the window for making this trip is rather inflexible.

[bunnydrops]

Would you be getting an reentry stamp?

[DrJack54]

27 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

Would you be getting an reentry stamp?

Good question.

 OP if your second entry to Thailand is a visa exempt with less than 6 months on your passport any issue will not be with Thai immigration on landing.

The issue would/might be with airline at departure.

A copy of onward flight out of Thailand thinking would satisfy airline. 

 

[Havefunme]

If you have more then 6 months on your passport going into Thailand your ok . Your returning back home with less then 6 months your ok your passport is not needed in your home country if I'm reading this right . 

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, Havefunme said:

If you have more then 6 months on your passport going into Thailand your ok . Your returning back home with less then 6 months your ok your passport is not needed in your home country if I'm reading this right . 

My reading is that entering Thailand with + 6 months on pp.

Then taking a side trip (eg Vietnam) and returning to Thailand with less than 6 months on pp.

Then flight home.

Thailand unlike many countries does not have the "6 months rule" 

The issue is that many airlines do

[hotandsticky]

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

My reading is that entering Thailand with + 6 months on pp.

Then taking a side trip (eg Vietnam) and returning to Thailand with less than 6 months on pp.

Then flight home.

Thailand unlike many countries does not have the "6 months rule" 

The issue is that many airlines do

 

Unfortunately, no one has got round to advising the UK government.

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/entry-requirements#:~:text=Passport validity requirements from when you enter Thailand.

 

Passport validity requirements

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from when you enter Thailand.

You could be refused entry to Thailand if your passport is damaged or has pages missing.

If you’re a dual national, to avoid problems at immigration, you must leave Thailand on the same passport you used to enter.

If you need to renew or apply for a new British passport, see overseas British passport applications.

[BritTim]

Assuming you already have an unexpired Thai visa or re-entry permit, your passport only needs to be valid for the duration of your planned visit, so far as Thai immigration is concerned. Other countries mostly require you to have at six six months remaining validity on your passport at the point you are entering or transiting their territory. Airlines should accept your flights as long as they are in accordance with the policies of the countries you are entering or transiting. However, with the rules being complex, some airlines may just say six months regardless of where you are going. The best advice is plan ahead and avoid doing that. If I understand your situation correctly, you should immediately apply for a second, additional passport, explaining your problem, rather than just for a replacement.

[DrJack54]

2 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

Unfortunately, no one has got round to advising the UK government.

 

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand/entry-requirements#:~:text=Passport validity requirements from when you enter Thailand.

 

Passport validity requirements

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from when you enter Thailand.

You could be refused entry to Thailand if your passport is damaged or has pages missing.

If you’re a dual national, to avoid problems at immigration, you must leave Thailand on the same passport you used to enter.

If you need to renew or apply for a new British passport, see overseas British passport applications.

That will appear on most countries embassies websites.

Fact is they are just using standard 4inch paint brush.

Too much effort to be country specific. 

[hotandsticky]

5 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

That will appear on most countries embassies websites.

Fact is they are just using standard 4inch paint brush.

Too much effort to be country specific. 

 

Seems that the Royal Thai Embassy are using the same brush!

 

FAQ about Thai visa

 

1. I would like to go to Thailand for vacation for 2 weeks. I hold British passport. Do I need a visa?

Nationals of the United Kingdom and over 40 other countries are eligible to travel to Thailand, for tourism purpose, with the exemption of visa and are permitted to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding 30 days. Therefore, you do not need a visa.

However, please make sure that you are in possession of a passport valid for at least 6 months, a round-trip air ticket, and adequate finances equivalent to at least 20,000 Baht (450 pounds) per person or 40,000 Baht (900 pounds) per family. Otherwise, you maybe inconvenienced upon entry into the country.

Furthermore, foreigners who enter Thailand under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may re-enter and stay in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of first entry.

 

 

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/page/84498-faq?menu=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072ef

[thailandsgreat]

But OP will probably make his second entry from this region which slightly increases chances of getting on the plane. The airports in this region usually know the rules better than in our countries. But has become harder with time also here.

Edited July 31, 2023 by thailandsgreat

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, hotandsticky said:

 

Seems that the Royal Thai Embassy are using the same brush!

 

FAQ about Thai visa

 

1. I would like to go to Thailand for vacation for 2 weeks. I hold British passport. Do I need a visa?

Nationals of the United Kingdom and over 40 other countries are eligible to travel to Thailand, for tourism purpose, with the exemption of visa and are permitted to stay in Thailand for a period of not exceeding 30 days. Therefore, you do not need a visa.

However, please make sure that you are in possession of a passport valid for at least 6 months, a round-trip air ticket, and adequate finances equivalent to at least 20,000 Baht (450 pounds) per person or 40,000 Baht (900 pounds) per family. Otherwise, you maybe inconvenienced upon entry into the country.

Furthermore, foreigners who enter Thailand under this Tourist Visa Exemption Scheme may re-enter and stay in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of first entry.

 

 

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/page/84498-faq?menu=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072ef

Many threads on this .

Perhaps read 2nd reply from our esteemed ubonjoe. 

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1255340-passport-validity-when-entering/ 

 

Having stated that bit silly op did not renew his passport.

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by DrJack54

[Caldera]

1 hour ago, thailandsgreat said:

But OP will probably make his second entry from this region which slightly increases chances of getting on the plane. The airports in this region usually know the rules better than in our countries. But has become harder with time also here.

Are there any other countries within the region that don't require a minimum of 6 months passport validity though?

 

Entering or transiting another country within the region might well be a problem. 

[DrJack54]

16 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Are there any other countries within the region that don't require a minimum of 6 months passport validity though?

 

 Not that I'm aware of.

 

Thailand is an outliner.

Just one example Vietnam required 6 month validity 

Again ....the OP was foolish not to plan ahead.

 

[BritTim]

21 minutes ago, Caldera said:

Are there any other countries within the region that don't require a minimum of 6 months passport validity though?

 

Entering or transiting another country within the region might well be a problem. 

The nearest country that allows you to enter with less than six months remaining passport validity is Hong Kong.

[sandyf]

18 hours ago, BritTim said:

Airlines should accept your flights as long as they are in accordance with the policies of the countries you are entering or transiting.

Airlines are required to follow the IATA guidelines. If you do not have the 6 months the outcome will depend on how it is handled.

[SmokeandIce]

On 7/31/2023 at 8:48 AM, Havefunme said:

If you have more then 6 months on your passport going into Thailand your ok . Your returning back home with less then 6 months your ok your passport is not needed in your home country if I'm reading this right . 

I think you missed the other part of his original text saying he would leave Thailand and then try to reenter Thailand before he returns home.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Airlines are required to follow the IATA guidelines. If you do not have the 6 months the outcome will depend on how it is handled.

To be exact, IATA member airlines (most of the major airlines) will mostly follow the IATA guidelines in practice, but this is not a requirement of membership. Different airlines do vary in their policies. IATA guidelines often reflect international law and the immigration rules of the countries airlines serve. Where that is the case, there are certain minimum requirements that they will comply with. They supplement this with their own policies.

[mrwebb8825]

OP - Since NONE of the advice or discussions about what the UK does/doesn't do is of any use to you, have a look here and see if an agency can help before your departure:

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply/processing-times.html

[sandyf]

14 hours ago, BritTim said:

To be exact, IATA member airlines (most of the major airlines) will mostly follow the IATA guidelines in practice, but this is not a requirement of membership. Different airlines do vary in their policies. IATA guidelines often reflect international law and the immigration rules of the countries airlines serve. Where that is the case, there are certain minimum requirements that they will comply with. They supplement this with their own policies.

You can be exact as you want but at the end of the day any airline can deny boarding if passport validity breaches the IATA guidelines.

Been there and got the Tee shirt. I was denied boarding with just under 6 months, a stupid oversight on my part. The check-in staff were adamant it had to be over 6 months so I asked to see a supervisor and she said the same. I explained I had come to Amsterdam for a couple of days before catching the China Airlines flight to Bangkok and was only going for 3 weeks and if there were any options. She said she would try phoning Thai Immigration to see what they said but didn't have much hope in getting through. Came back about 20 minutes later and said she had got through, immigration had authorised boarding on sight of a return ticket within the passport validity. She took a copy of my booking and then took me to another desk to be checked in. I was extremely fortunate and came very close to looking for a flight back to the UK.

As I said previously - "If you do not have the 6 months the outcome will depend on how it is handled."

You can challenge the check in staff, but they will always have the final say.

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

You can be exact as you want but at the end of the day any airline can deny boarding if passport validity breaches the IATA guidelines.

Any airline can deny boarding, whether or not the passport validity breaches IATA guidelines. In fact, IATA guidelines on passport validity match the immigration requirements of the country(ies) you are visiting or transiting through. As this is very complex, a handful of airlines adopt the simpler, more restrictive rule that your passport must have six months remaining validity, period.

[bigt3116]

On 7/31/2023 at 9:05 PM, DrJack54 said:

That will appear on most countries embassies websites.

Fact is they are just using standard 4inch paint brush.

Too much effort to be country specific. 

Strange, seems that the Thai Ministry of Foreign affairs is using the same brush.

 

https://www.mfa.go.th/en/publicservice/questions-answers-on-thai-visa?cate=5d5bcb4e15e39c30600068d3

 

Obviously this information is VERY country specific,

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by bigt3116
add info

[2long]

I might have scrolled through quicker than I should have, but has anyone considered that the OP is likely trying to enter a third country (already assumed to be Vietnam) with less than six months on his passport, unless he's going here with 6 months and a few days, because he wrote 'a short jaunt.'

 

Personally, I see it as very risky and wish him luck.

[sandyf]

2 hours ago, BritTim said:

Any airline can deny boarding, whether or not the passport validity breaches IATA guidelines. In fact, IATA guidelines on passport validity match the immigration requirements of the country(ies) you are visiting or transiting through. As this is very complex, a handful of airlines adopt the simpler, more restrictive rule that your passport must have six months remaining validity, period.

Nothing complex about it, you can either check in or you can't, but If you want to disagree that the check in staff will have the final say that is up to you.

 

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Nothing complex about it, you can either check in or you can't, but If you want to disagree that the check in staff will have the final say that is up to you.

I absolutely do not disagree that the airline check in staff (under the supervision of the airline representative) can deny you boarding. What we disagree about is only whether this is because of IATA guidelines (which is, at most, only part of the story).

[10years]

I plan to enter Thailand both times on a VE stamp. I will visit a third country in the region while my passport still has more than six months left, but will be just short of six months when I come back to Thailand. If questioned at Thai immigration, I would plead leniency because I need to reenter Thailand to catch my return flight to the US and will be here only a week.

 

Since there are no direct flights to my destination, I will have to transit in Manila. Does the six-month rule apply to layovers? I will not be exiting the airport in Manila.

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, 10years said:

If questioned at Thai immigration, I would plead leniency because I need to reenter Thailand to catch my return flight to the US and will be here only a week.

I posted earlier.

Your issue will not be with Thai immigration on arrival.

It would/could  be with airline at departure.

Your plan was poorly organized.

 

The return flight to USA might satisfy airline at departure to Thailand..

[BritTim]

1 hour ago, 10years said:

I plan to enter Thailand both times on a VE stamp. I will visit a third country in the region while my passport still has more than six months left, but will be just short of six months when I come back to Thailand. If questioned at Thai immigration, I would plead leniency because I need to reenter Thailand to catch my return flight to the US and will be here only a week.

 

Since there are no direct flights to my destination, I will have to transit in Manila. Does the six-month rule apply to layovers? I will not be exiting the airport in Manila.

I suggest you use the IATA Travel Center site (https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/TH-Thailand-passport-visa-health-travel-document-requirements.htm) to check any itinerary where your passport will have less than six months remaining validity. I am familiar with the Thai immigration rules, but I make no pretence to knowing what the immigration rules are for airside transfer in all the countries around the world.

[DrJack54]

I like advice from ubonjoe.

 

https://aseannow.com/topic/1255340-passport-validity-when-entering/

Edited August 2, 2023 by DrJack54