Little Known Passport Rule Stalls Couple's Travels

[question everything]

NBCSandiego.com

Little Known Passport Rule Stalls Couple's Travels
Airline Refunds Tickets

POSTED: 7:50 PM PDT August 16, 2004

SAN DIEGO -- Airport officials told a local couple on their way to a conference in Amsterdam that a passport that met federal guidelines would not get them on their plane.

While Vicki Nevin's passport was still valid -- it was scheduled to expire two months after her stay in the Netherlands -- airport officials told her that the destination country would not accept it. The Netherlands requires a traveler's passport be good three months from their departure date.

(snip)

Post office officials admit the information is not easy to find in posted literature on passports. Still, the information is on the State Department Web site and is the responsibility of the traveler, said Sonia Dizon, a U.S. Postal Service spokeswoman.

(snip)

American Airlines, the carrier that was scheduled to fly the couple to the Netherlands, says it will refund their tickets.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/money/3658728/detail.html

[pagerbear]

1. To be so close to going to Amsterdam

...and then denied access to that magical city! Oh no!

[lil-petunia]

2. humph

I just came back from Scotland - i left with a month left on the passport, and returned with 3 days left.

In fact, just sent out the app for a gnu one.

Gosh, that photo makes me look older. hummmm.

still, need to be ready - just in case shrub wins. Gotta be ready to move to Canada or New Zealand.

[Kellanved]

3. That is the rule in the whole EU

US citizens are allowed to stay for 90 days without visa. So it stands to reason that the passport has to be good for longer than that.

It is the same the other way round BTW: EU citizens entering the US via Visa-Waiver (the little that is left of it) need a passport with more than 90 days left before it expires.

Also the passport has to be one of the newer computer-readable ones; those haven't been around long enough to expire yet.

[FreakinDJ]

4. It pays to check requirements of the country you are visiting

I know I check before I go any where

Especially the declarations for goods brought into different countries.