I know there are answers on here, but they are varied and I%26#39;m still confused. I%26#39;m traveling next week (July 15). The airline says there are no special passport requirements...that%26#39;s per Continental, American and Air France. And yet, I still can%26#39;t relax. My passport expires 9/30. I guess where I get hung up is on the term %26quot;valid%26quot;. There are plenty of countries listed on Continental website that say %26quot;passport must not expire for 3 months%26quot;, and some six, but for France it just says %26quot;valid%26quot; passport.
I think maybe the reason so many people think it has to be valid for 90 days is because IF you were were going for a long stay (90 days+) or are a student studying abroad, etc., you have to apply for a short stay visa. In that case, you must present a passport not expiring for at least 90 days, along with letters of credit, character refs from your local police dept., etc. But, for just a vacation, I think your passport just has to be good for the length of your stay.
With it being the 4th of July, I can%26#39;t ask a French Embassy, consulate, etc. till at least Monday. And my options are running out if I need to renew. Somebody please tell me I%26#39;m right. :)
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From a quick google I think your passport needs to be valid for 3 months after your intended length of stay. So it would seem that you need a new passport. You had better get on to this right away.
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If you *need* a visa, %26quot;Passport valid for at least three months beyond the applicant’s last day of stay in the Schengen states%26quot;. If you don%26#39;t need one (such as US citizen), you don%26#39;t need that extra validity.
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p.s. airlines are on the hook for paying for your immeidate return if you are refused entry at immigration due to basics such as passport validity/visa requirements. So the airlines KNOW what they are talking about.
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Here%26#39;s the link at Continental that led me to believe my passport is valid till date of expiration.
continental.com/web/…default.aspx
Of course, they have a disclaimer stating you should contact the embassy or consulate, but all in all it%26#39;s a pretty handy tool. I double checked in using Costa Rica, which I know requires that your passport be valid for some term beyond your stay, and it states 30 days.
Thanks for the replies! I%26#39;ve got to quit obsessing!
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Renew it. You might make it OK, but it%26#39;s not worth the risk.
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For the record, I called the French Consulate this morning. I got three different people and three different answers.
Bottom line is I have to renew. One person said I %26quot;might%26quot; be OK, but they had the right to refuse entry. Another said 3 months, another said 6 months.
I called the U.S. Passport office, and they disagreed with everyone who answered at the consulates stating it only had to be a valid passport. Her interpretation of %26quot;valid%26quot; was the date of my expiration as printed on my passport had to be after my trip dates, with no restrictions as to how many days later.
How frustrating. Oh well, as long as the expediter is reliable (and believe me I am sweating bullets nos), I%26#39;m good for another 10 years....no, make that 9 1/2.
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The States department and the 1st person at the consulate gave you the correct answers. You can be refused entry for any reason even if you have a passport that doesn%26#39;t expire for 10 years, or even if you have a visa.
Renewing makes you feel better and you don%26#39;t have to worry about it for 10 years.
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Yes Bob, you%26#39;re right. I was going to be nervous no matter what. I have googled ad nauseum, and I know we are right that if you are from one of the exempt countries, you don%26#39;t have to have a short stay visa, just a valid passport. Air France, Continental and American Airlines all concurred. I just got to the point that I felt that I had to err on the side of caution. Even if I boarded OK in USA, who knows, I could get an agent having a really bad day in France and get turned back around.
So....now all I have to do is bite my nails till my passport arrives back on Thursday. I thought about flying to Houston rather than using an expediter, but my husband felt the whole process was safer in the hands of an expediter. He thought the chance of something getting lost w/ Fedex was not as great as my flight being delayed, or getting stuck in traffic en route to the Federal Building in Houston.
I%26#39;m sure I won%26#39;t have any fingernails left by Thursday morning.
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Well, I guess the joke might be on me after all. Here%26#39;s a reply I got from the French Tourism Office.
I have great news for you. I just called the French Embassy in the US and told them about your passport.
You can travel to France from July 15 to 23 with your current passport. It has to be valid ONLY during the period of your trip, that is to say until the very last day (the 23rd).
Hope this clarifies.
If you have any other questions, suggestions or need specific information on France, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Cordially,
Information Department
French Government Tourist Office
825,Third Avenue
29th Floor
New York, NY10022
Phone: (212) 838-7800
E-mail: info.us@franceguide.com
And I%26#39;m impatiently awaiting my $360.00 expedited passport to arrive. Supposed to be tomorrow, though according to their fees, I think it should%26#39;ve been today.
We%26#39;ll see.
________________________________________
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