Validity Of Passport On Arrival

[marc69]

Hi,

I am an EU citizen and I am going to apply for an ED visa later this fall. I plan to arrive in Thailand in January 2, 2012 and my current passport expires in June 16, 2012 so on the day of arrival it be valid for about five and half months. I have heard that immigration requires that passport has to be valid for at least six months on the day of arrival. I was wondering if this is true and in that case how strictly it is enforced. Should I renew my passport now?

[Crossy]

Yes, 6 months is required, but my passports are always full long before expiry so I can't comment on how rigorously it's enforced.

For safety renew before applying for your visa.

[Lite Beer]

No. There is no requirement for a validity of 6 months for Eu Passports.

The Passport must be valid for the length of stay.

Check here using the drop down menu to enter your nationality.

http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/index.jsp

[Carib]

If I use my EU passport to enter Thailand is has to be valid for up-to 6 months after the date of departing Thailand again. Can give links but they are not in english.

Edited September 3, 2011 by Carib

[marc69]

No. There is no requirement for a validity of 6 months for Eu Passports.

The Passport must be valid for the length of stay.

Check here using the drop down menu to enter your nationality.

http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/index.jsp

Thanks for the link, it is very useful. It seems that I have to renew my passport anyway as I am planning to spend a few days in Malaysia in the beginning of January before going to Thailand and according to the link Malaysia requires at least six month validity of passport on arrival.

[Crossy]

Interesting link LB.

But the Thai embassy (UK) site says

Passport or travel document must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of first entry

for visa exempt entries and

The applicant's passport must have at least 6 month validity on the applying date.

for visa applications.

Who is correct?

[lopburi3]

There are two issues here.

1. There is no longer a six month requirement for passport validity for entry into Thailand - you can confirm that with the IATA data base. Useful for extension and non visa entry.

/ 03SEP11 / 0228 UTC

National Sweden (SE) /Destination Thailand (TH)

Thailand (TH)

Passport required.

- Nationals of Sweden can enter with passports and/or passport

replacing documents valid for the period of intended stay.

http://www.delta.com/planning_reservations/plan_flight/international_travel_information/visa_passport_information/index.jsp

2. For issuance of visa from Consulate six month validity (or 18 month for one year visa) will likely be required.

So you should obtain a new passport for visa as you plan visa entry.

[marc69]

2. For issuance of visa from Consulate six month validity (or 18 month for one year visa) will likely be required.

So you should obtain a new passport for visa as you plan visa entry.

This is probably academic now but my passport will be valid for more than six months when I apply for visa. In addition since I plan to leave Thailand in mid March it will also be valid for intended period of stay when I arrive in January. So why do you think I should renew my passport? Does it mean that the Consulate require 6-month validity from date of arrival but immigration does not?

[lopburi3]

Yes Consulate requires six months validity to issue a single entry visa or 18 months to issue a multi entry visa. You said nothing about leaving in March and you did say you had to obtain for Malaysia anyhow. You also stated getting an ED visa which is normally a one year version in EU so would require 18 month validity of passport when issued.

- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months. The validity of 18 months is required for one year visa application.

[marc69]

Yes Consulate requires six months validity to issue a single entry visa or 18 months to issue a multi entry visa. You said nothing about leaving in March and you did say you had to obtain for Malaysia anyhow. You also stated getting an ED visa which is normally a one year version in EU so would require 18 month validity of passport when issued.

- Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months. The validity of 18 months is required for one year visa application.

Suppose I just wanted to travel to Thailand and no other country (like Malaysia in my case). The question is if the Consulate requires six month validity for a single entry visa from the date they issue the visa or from the date the traveler intends to enter the country. In the former case I would not need to renew my passport but in the latter case I would need to do so but that would imply different requirements for passport validity from the Consulate and immigration.

[lopburi3]

The time is from date of application for visa.

[JimGant]

In the former case I would not need to renew my passport but in the latter case I would need to do so but that would imply different requirements for passport validity from the Consulate and immigration.

MFA and Immigration are not always on the same page. However, I cannot find anything definitive on Immigration's exact requirement for passport validity. A few years back, it seems Immigration did require 6-mos validity. MFA, from their website, seems to believe Immigration still has the same 6-month validity requirement:

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 10,000 Baht per person or 20,000 Baht per family. Otherwise, you may be inconvenienced upon entry into the country.

But, saying Immigration requires a "round-trip air ticket" is baloney. So too maybe the passport validity.

In the last two years, IATA has dropped publishing the 6-mos validity requirement for Thailand. But, this would seem to be the exception, as per the quote from the Delta website:

In general your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date you enter a foreign country.

A hurried CSR just might use the rule of thumb, and deny you boarding with a passport expiration in less than 6 months.

Some interesting tidbits on this subject, from a couple years ago HERE

I certainly wouldn't push this envelope.

[marc69]

Thanks for your reply Jim.

In general your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date you enter a foreign country.

A hurried CSR just might use the rule of thumb, and deny you boarding with a passport expiration in less than 6 months.

Some interesting tidbits on this subject, from a couple years ago HERE

I certainly wouldn't push this envelope.

I agree, I would not take any chances on this. I will renew my passport before I apply for my visa.

[Mario2008]

Getting a new pasport might be wise if one also wants to trvael to other countries. But at check-in the airlines can check an online data-base to check the requirements. All one would have to do is ask them to check the IATA database.

[JimGant]

Getting a new pasport might be wise if one also wants to trvael to other countries. But at check-in the airlines can check an online data-base to check the requirements. All one would have to do is ask them to check the IATA database.

Right. But there's always the recalcitrant CSR, who remembers the IATA-published rules of a couple years back. And can't be bothered to check the computer. Rare, I hope -- but a printout of the latest IATA data might be in order when you check-in with the airlines.

Anyway, it's curious that MFA says Immigration requires "6 months validity remaining in passport upon entry." IATA, however, changed its tune and says, "validity required just for period of stay." Presumably, they got this info from somewhere in the Thai bureaucracy -- but it would appear not from MFA. Anybody have the real skinny on Immigration's relatively new policy on passport validity requirements? Their website wasn't too helpful, at least when I tried to derive anything pertinent on it.

In any event, letting your passport count-down below 6 months makes no sense, as it does seriously affect your ability to travel to most countries.