Before planning a trip abroad, you need to carefully check the validity of your passport and the amount of free space for visa stamps. If the document runs out of blank pages, it may be invalidated and a visa denied. In addition, the effect of a passport for different countries in 2021 has serious differences.
The validity of the passport
There are two types of Russian foreign documents. An old-style passport can be used for 5 years from the date of registration. And the validity period of the new biometric passport is 10 years. The paper document has 36 pages for affixing visa stamps, in the passport with the chip - 46. In addition, the biometric passport is better protected, contains information about fingerprints and instills more confidence in customs officers when crossing the border. On the page with personal data, you can see the day, month, year of issue and the end date of validity.
A wider list of criteria that give a passport its legal force can be found in the article: “Rules for checking the validity of a passport”.
The period of validity of the passport for different countries
When planning to enter the territory of a foreign state, you need to carefully read the information on the website of its embassy. All the conditions that are necessary for crossing the border are listed there. To avoid troubles before applying for a visa, you need to clarify in advance the requirements for documents in the country of destination, check the expiration date of your passport and only then book a hotel. Having clarified all the nuances in a timely manner, you will have time, if necessary, to issue a new passport and go on a trip without delay.
The expiry date of the passport for travel to various countries must have a certain margin, which varies from 1 to 12 months.
Most often, states impose the following requirements:
- 90 or 91 days;
- 3 months;
- six months;
- 120 days.
It is important to check these terms with your passport data and make sure that the document will be valid for the required number of days before the trip. Failure to comply with this rule entails a refusal of a visa, therefore, the validity of a passport for traveling abroad is of paramount importance.
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Expiration date less than three months
The list of countries to which you can go when your passport expires is quite wide. The most popular routes can be easily found in the table.
| Country name | Passport validity period from the date of return |
|---|---|
| South Africa | 1 month |
| Serbia | 1 month |
| Hong Kong | 1 month |
| Cuba | 1 month |
On the official resource of the US State Department, you can read that the passport of foreigners should expire no earlier than six months after entering the country. But between Russia and a number of other states, the United States has an agreement, according to which it is allowed to take 6 months from the specified period. This means that if you have an open visa to America, you can fly if your passport expires at any time after the start of the trip.
Validity from three months to six months
When a passport is valid for at least 3 months or longer, broader prospects for travel open up. Before the document is no longer relevant, you can have a great rest or make a business trip.
| Country name | The number of days of validity of the passport after the end of the trip |
|---|---|
| Cyprus | 90 |
| Colombia | 90 |
| Maldives | 90 |
| New Zealand | 90 |
| Romania | 90 |
| Senegal | 90 |
| Tunisia | 90 |
| Montenegro | 90 |
| Sri Lanka | 90 |
| Bulgaria | 90 |
| Albania | 90 |
| Armenia | 90 |
| Kenya | 90 |
| Schengen countries | 90 |
When booking a hotel in Turkey, you need to take into account that for the trip, the passport must remain valid for at least 4 months after the end of the trip. If the document does not meet this condition, it is better to choose a tour to another country in order to avoid problems. Customs officers scrutinize passports and refuse entry when documents do not meet migration requirements.
Andorra puts forward a condition - 120 days from the date of the start of the trip, Belgium - 3 months or 90 days from the date of departure. To visit the Canary Islands you need a Spanish visa and a passport, which is valid for 3 months after your return.
The validity of the passport is six months or more
Most countries in Southeast Asia and the Far East require passports to expire no earlier than six months after the end of the visit. Israel, Singapore and South Korea set slightly different conditions: in order to go there on a visit, one must count six months not from the final date of the trip, but from the beginning of the trip. You can find out more about the countries that put forward similar requirements for foreigners in the table.
| Name | Number of days of validity of the passport |
|---|---|
| Egypt | 180 |
| India | 180 |
| UAE | 180 |
| China | 180 |
| Malaysia | 180 |
| Oman | 180 |
| Nepal | 180 |
| Singapore | 180 |
| Mauritius | 180 |
| Laos | 180 |
| Thailand | 180 |
| Chile | 180 |
| Japan | 180 |
| Seychelles | 180 |
| Philippines | 180 |
| Indonesia | 180 |
| Peru | 180 |
| Myanmar | 180 |
| Mexico | 180 |
| Madagascar | 180 |
| Canada | 180 |
| Cambodia | 180 |
| Jordan | 180 |
| Argentina | 180 |
| Australia | 180 |
| Bolivia | 180 |
| Dominican Republic | 180 |
Vietnam | 180 |
To eliminate risks, it is better to replace the expiring passport in advance and make sure that at least one blank page for visa stamps remains in it.
Is it possible to get a new passport if the old one is valid
Every citizen of the Russian Federation can have a second passport. There are no restrictions to obtain it. You need to collect the usual package of documents and submit them to the Office of the Office on Migration Issues. In order not to waste extra time, you can send documents using the State Service website or take advantage of the assistance of multifunctional centers that are open in many cities of Russia. When submitting, it is imperative to clarify that you are issuing a second passport, otherwise the first one will be automatically canceled.
A few years ago, such a prerogative was available to few, and the second passport was valid until the expiration date of the first one expired. Now the situation has changed. The second foreign passport must be biometric and will be valid for 10 years - as it should be for such documents, regardless of the validity period of the first.
All the subtleties of the procedure are easy to find out by studying how to get a second passport if you have the first one.
How to replace a passport
Sooner or later, it becomes necessary to exchange the old passport. The reasons may be:
- expiration date;
- lack of blank pages for visa stamps;
- change of the name and other personal data of the owner;
- damage to the document;
- loss;
- dramatic changes in the appearance of the owner.
Replacement of the passport takes place within the standard terms that are set for obtaining a new document. This is a month from the date of filing an application at the place of registration and 4 months if the documents are submitted at the place of actual stay.
You can find out all the features of the exchange procedure in the material "Replacing the passport".
Conclusion
When going abroad, you should carefully study all the conditions for entering the desired country. Legislation changes frequently. It is advisable to track changes in migration rules in order to save yourself from unpleasant surprises.
