En esta noticia
When traveling internationally, one of the fundamental aspects that citizens, naturalized foreigners, and visitors must keep in mind is that the passport with which they enter and leave the United States must be valid in the eyes of the competent authorities.
Although keeping it valid is crucial in these situations, it is often not enough for it to be in order at the time of travel, since it is also necessary to consider other requirements related to this document, such as its physical condition, since failing to meet these aspects can cause problems with airlines and different agents.
Essential information about entry for citizens and naturalized foreigners
Federal regulations establish that a valid document must be presented and, as for naturalized citizens, they are required to enter using their American passport, regardless of whether they have another passport from their country of origin.
Likewise, the presentation of a document in good condition is required, since those that show significant damage, large stains, or other types of severe tears -such as worn visa pages- cannot be used for this type of travel.
Additionally, USA.gov recommends checking, according to the travel destination, the validity your passport must have: “Some countries and airlines may deny you entry if your passport expires in less than 6 months,” it says.
What is the validity of the U.S. passport?
U.S. passports for adults have a maximum validity of up to 10 years. As for minors under 16, the documents cannot be renewed and are valid for 5 years.
Basic information for the entry of foreign citizens into the United States
In these cases, for the trip to the country to be authorized, in general terms, the United States requires a validity of 6 months beyond the initially planned travel period.
If the passport presented was obtained so far in advance that it does not meet the six-month requirement, it will not be considered valid when applying for the visa to travel.
Important information about this regulation for foreigners
CBP keeps the list of countries that are exempt from complying with this regulation up to date on its official website. For these nations, it is only necessary 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 found by clicking here.
In addition, to avoid any inconvenience when leaving the country, travelers must preserve the physical integrity of their document in order to avoid delays and complications.