Validity Guidelines – Can I travel with my passport if it has less than 8 months on it?

QUESTION:   I am taking a trip to Japan and my passport will expire in roughly 8 months. Am I going to be affected because of this when I arrive in Japan since there are validity guidelines that need to be met?

ANSWER:    If you have the time before your trip, you should renew your passport now. Regular processing times are between 4-6 weeks. Expedite processing takes between 2-3 weeks and come with an extra cost. We recommend that you renew your passport 9 months before its expiration date to avoid all issues while traveling. This way, when you are ready for travel, your passport will be in line with all the guidelines of the country that you intend to travel to.

Pertaining to your question, Validity Guidelines that will depend on your length of stay in Japan. Since you have a passport with 9 months of validity left, you may be in the clear to stay. Japan, along with many other countries require a six month validity time frame after the traveler’s intended stay. This translates to if you stay for 4 months in Japan, you will have five months remaining on your passport. If you will be staying more than 4 months in Japan, then you may face some issues. This may cause issues while you are in Japan and can take a toll on your travel plans. If your plans are to return from Japan within 3 months, you will be in the clear to stay in Japan for that time period.