En esta noticia
When traveling internationally, one of the essential points that citizens, naturalized foreigners, and visitors must consider is that the passport they will use to enter and leave the United States must be valid for the competent authorities.
Although keeping it valid is essential in these cases, many times it is not enough for it to be within its validity period when traveling; other requirement standards for this issue and the physical condition of the document must also be checked, since failing to comply can cause inconveniences with airlines and different agents.
Essential information for the entry and exit of citizens and naturalized foreigners
Federal regulations require that a valid document be presented and, in the case of naturalized citizens, that they enter using their American passport, regardless of whether they have another passport from their country of origin.
Presentation of a document in good condition is also required, since those that show severe damage, large stains, and other serious tears—such as torn visa pages—cannot be used for this type of travel.
On the other hand, USA.gov advises checking, according to the destination you want to travel to, how much validity the passport must have: “Some countries and airlines could deny you entry if your passport expires in less than 6 months,” it states.
What is the total validity of the American passport?
American passports for adults have a maximum validity of up to 10 years, while for those under 16, the documents cannot be renewed and are valid for 5 years.
Essential information for visitors entering the United States
In these cases, for the trip to the country to be authorized, as a general rule the United States requires a 6-month validity beyond the initially planned travel period.
If the passport presented was processed so long ago that it does not meet the six-month requirement, it will not be considered valid when applying for the visa to travel.
Key points about this rule
CBP keeps the list of countries that are exempt from complying with this regulation updated on its official website. In the case of these nations, they only need to present a valid passport during their stay.
Latin American countries included in the list:
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Dominican Republic
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
The complete and updated list of countries that do not have to follow this rule can be consulted by clicking here.
In addition, to avoid any inconvenience when leaving the country, travelers must preserve the physical integrity of their document to avoid delays and complications.