Renew well before the date printed in your passport. Many countries only let you in if your passport is valid for at least six months after you arrive, and the Schengen area in Europe wants at least three months after the day you leave, plus an issue date less than 10 years old. Add the time renewal takes: the UK usually within 3 weeks, Canada 10 to 20 business days plus mailing. A simple habit: start renewing about 9 months before your passport expires.
Last checked 17 October 2026 against GOV.UK, Canada.ca, USA.gov and Your Europe (European Union). The 9-month habit is our own suggestion, worked out below.
What the six-month rule is, and who sets it
The date in your passport is when it stops being valid. But a passport that is still valid can be refused at a border, or at check-in, if it expires too soon after your trip.
- The destination sets the rule, not the country that issued your passport. GOV.UK's advice for travellers says: "Many countries will only allow entry if you have at least 6 months validity remaining on your passport."
- Airlines check it too. USA.gov says some countries and airlines will not let a US passport holder enter if their passport expires in less than 6 months.
- Countries you pass through count. If you change planes somewhere, check that country's rules as well.
- Some rules aren't six months. The Schengen area uses three months after you leave, plus a 10-year limit on the issue date. Some countries only need the passport to be valid for your stay.
- Blank pages can matter. Some countries also ask for one or two empty pages.
Examples of what countries ask for
These examples show how much the rules differ. They are the rules as published for UK travellers by the UK government, and for all non-EU travellers by the EU. Rules can depend on your nationality, so always read the advice for your own passport.
| Destination | Passport must | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Schengen area (most EU countries and a few neighbours) | Be valid at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave, and have been issued within the last 10 years | Your Europe (EU) |
| Thailand | Have an expiry date at least 6 months after you arrive, and at least 1 blank page | GOV.UK |
| Indonesia | Have an expiry date at least 6 months after you arrive, and at least 2 blank pages | GOV.UK |
| United States (for UK travellers) | Be valid for the length of your planned stay | GOV.UK |
Where to check for your own passport:
- US passport: the country information pages on travel.state.gov
- UK passport: foreign travel advice on GOV.UK, "Entry requirements" for each country
- Canadian passport: travel advice and advisories on travel.gc.ca
- Australian passport: destination pages on smartraveller.gov.au
Last checked 17 October 2026 (links in Sources). Entry rules change; check again before you book.
How long renewal takes, and when to start
Work backwards from your trip, not from the expiry date.
- Find your destination's rule. If it wants six months left, treat your passport as if it expires six months early.
- Add the processing time for your country (table below), plus mailing time where it isn't included.
- Add a buffer of a few weeks in case they need more information from you, which GOV.UK says can make it take longer.
An example. Your passport expires on 10 March 2027 and you fly to Thailand on 1 December 2026. Thailand wants an expiry date at least 6 months after you arrive, so 1 June 2027 or later. Your passport is still valid on the day you fly, but it falls short by almost three months. You would need a new passport before you go.
That is why we suggest starting about 9 months before the expiry date: up to 6 months lost to the destination's rule, plus a couple of months for processing, mailing and surprises. If you only travel to places that need validity for your stay, you have more room, but your plans may change.
Renewing in the US, UK, Canada and Australia
| Country | How to renew | How long it takes | If you need it faster |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | By mail, or online if you meet the requirements. You can renew an expired passport only if it was issued within the last 15 years. Otherwise, apply in person with form DS-11. | Times vary. Check the State Department's current processing times before you apply. | The State Department has a "get a passport fast" page with the faster options. |
| United Kingdom | Online, or with a paper form | "You'll usually get your passport within 3 weeks." It can take longer if they need more information or an interview. | 1 week Fast Track (courier delivery 1 week after your appointment), or 1 day Premium for adult renewals (collect 4 hours after your appointment). Both need an appointment and cost more. |
| Canada | Online if you need the passport in 20 business days or more; also by mail or in person | 10 business days in person at a passport office; 20 business days at a regular Service Canada Centre, by mail or online. Mailing time is not included. | Urgent pick-up by the end of the next business day, or express pick-up in 2 to 9 business days |
| Australia | See the Australian Passport Office's renewal page | The Australian Passport Office publishes current processing times on its website. | See the same processing times page for faster options. |
Two things catch people out. Your new passport has a new number, so GOV.UK says not to book travel until you have it. And in the US, the old passport you mail in comes back separately; USA.gov says usually about 4 weeks after the new one.
Last checked 17 October 2026. Fees and times change; the official pages in Sources have today's figures.
Check these other dates too
- Travel authorisations tied to your passport. A UK ETA lasts 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. A Canadian eTA is valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, and a new passport needs a new eTA. If you have a visa or authorisation in your old passport, check what happens to it when you renew.
- The issue date. For the Schengen area, a passport issued more than 10 years before you arrive is not accepted, even if its expiry date is later.
- Blank pages. A passport full of stamps may need replacing before it expires.
- Everyone in the family. Check each person's passport date, not just yours.
How DocIt handles this
We make DocIt, so read this part with that in mind. DocIt keeps copies of your important documents on your phone and watches their dates.
- The date where you'll see it: scan your passport's photo page and DocIt reads it and fills in the details for you to check. Always check the expiry date it fills in, or set it yourself with Edit.
- Status in words: each document shows Valid, Expiring or Renew now. Your passport number is in the wallet, one tap to copy when a form asks for it.
- Phone reminders: when you turn reminders on and allow notifications, your phone reminds you 30, 7 and 1 day before the expiry date. No sign-in needed.
- Private: the scan is encrypted on this phone (AES-256), and you can lock the app with your fingerprint or PIN. No sign-up and no ads.
The honest part: for a passport, 30 days is too late. As the example above shows, it may already be too short for many countries months before that, and renewal itself can take weeks. DocIt can't set an earlier reminder today, and it only shows "Expiring" in the last 30 days, so a passport with five months left still shows Valid. So when you save your passport, work out your own renew-by date (about 9 months before it expires) and put it in your phone's calendar.
A copy on your phone is not a passport, and you can't travel on it. It does mean the number and dates are with you when you fill in a form or plan a trip.
DocIt is free on Google Play in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and 7 more countries, on Android only.
Your ID numbers in DocIt's wallet · Where to keep copies of your important documents · How DocIt protects your documents, and its limits · What to do if your passport is lost or stolen
Questions
My passport expires in less than six months. Can I still travel?
It depends on where you are going, not on which country issued your passport. Some places only need it to be valid for your stay; many want six months left. Check the entry rules for your destination, and for any country you change planes in, on your own government's travel advice page. Airlines check too.
Is the six months counted from when I arrive or when I leave?
It varies. Thailand and Indonesia count from the day you arrive. The Schengen area counts three months from the day you plan to leave. Read the exact wording on the advice page for your destination.
Can I travel while my renewal is being processed?
Plan as if you can't. A US renewal by mail includes your old passport, which comes back separately. GOV.UK says not to book travel until you have a valid passport, because the new one has a different number.
Does renewing change my passport number?
Yes. GOV.UK says your new passport will not have the same number as your old one. Update bookings and travel authorisations that hold the old number. A Canadian eTA, for example, has to be applied for again with a new passport.
Will DocIt remind me in time?
DocIt sends reminders on your phone, 30, 7 and 1 day before the expiry date, once you turn them on. For a passport that is too late to renew comfortably, so also put your own reminder in your phone's calendar about 9 months before it expires.
Sources
Checked on 17 October 2026. Pages marked "link only" could not be opened from our checker that day; open them for the current details.
- USA.gov: renew an adult passport
- US State Department: renew my passport by mail
- US State Department: processing times
- GOV.UK: renew or replace your adult passport
- HM Passport Office: how long it takes
- GOV.UK: get a passport urgently
- GOV.UK foreign travel advice: Thailand entry requirements
- GOV.UK foreign travel advice: Indonesia entry requirements
- GOV.UK foreign travel advice: USA entry requirements
- GOV.UK foreign travel advice: Spain (Schengen rules)
- GOV.UK: how long a UK ETA lasts
- Your Europe (EU): travel documents for non-EU nationals
- Canada.ca: renew an adult passport
- Canada.ca: passport service standards
- Canada.ca: about the eTA
- Government of Canada: travel advice and advisories
- Australian Passport Office
- Smartraveller (Australia): destinations