Travel to the United States on Expired U.S. Passports (December 28, 2021) (2023)

FAQs

Can a U.S. citizen enter the us on an expired passport? ›

Citizens to the United States. U.S. citizens will not be allowed to use their expired U.S. passport for direct return to the United States after June 30, 2022. If a U.S. citizen overseas has an expired U.S. passport, please contact your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to apply for a U.S. passport.

An expired passport is invalid. If you are traveling back to the United States on a direct flight, you can fly with an expired passport. However, this only applies if you get the go-ahead from the relevant embassy. However, you cannot fly out of the country with an expired passport.

U.S. nationals, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country.

U.S. citizens cannot be denied entry to the United States for refusing to provide passwords or unlocking devices. Refusal to do so might lead to delay, additional questioning, and/or officers seizing your device for further inspection.

How long after a passport expires can you renew it? Luckily, you do not need to renew your passport the minute it expires. The government gives you a grace period of up to 5 years from the expiry date. However, this only applies to 10-year passports and not to temporary or child passports.

If you're traveling with an expired license or passport you may still be able to fly. Acceptable forms of ID cannot be more than 12 months past the identified expiration date.

Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. Check our Country Information to learn about entry and exit requirements for the country or countries in which you are traveling.

U.S. citizens under age 16 may present a birth certificate or alternative proof of citizenship when entering by land or sea. All travelers must have a passport book for international air travel.

United States and Canadian citizen children under age 16 arriving by land or sea from contiguous territory may also present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where he or she was born), a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, ...

Naturalized or derivative citizen – If you have a certificate of citizenship or naturalization, you may use the original naturalization certificate, citizenship certificate or a U.S. passport to prove citizenship.

What can prevent you from entering the US? ›

Other medical issues that can make you inadmissible to the United States include having a communicable disease of public health significance, being unable to provide proof of required vaccinations on request, a physical or mental disorder with associated harmful behavior, and drug abuse or addiction.

The most common reason individuals are turned away at an airport is paperwork. Travelers may have overstayed a prior visa or passport allowance. They may even have expired documentation. It is rare for most travelers to be denied entry into the States because of criminal background problems, but this can cause trouble.

Can I renew my passport if it's expired? Yes, but the passport must have been issued within the last 15 years.

Some countries that apply the six-month passport validity include primarily Asian countries, like China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia. A handful of countries in South America also use the six-month passport validity.

Visitors traveling to the U.S. are required to be in possession of passports that are valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay in the U.S.

Visitors traveling to the United States are required to be in possession of passports that are valid for six months beyond the period of their intended stay in the United States. Citizens of the countries listed below are exempt the six-month rule and need only have a passport valid for their intended period of stay.

Passport valid for travel to the United States – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the United States (unless exempt by country-specific agreements). Each individual who needs a visa must submit a separate application, including any family members listed in your passport.

Expedited service takes 3 to 5 weeks, and does not include mailing times which may add several weeks on to the door-to-door time it takes to receive your passport. Expedite at an acceptance facility or expedite a renewal by mail.

What to do if I forgot my passport? ›

Enhanced Driver's License / Enhanced Identification Card. Enhanced Driver's Licenses or Enhanced Identification Cards (known as EDLs) are documents that can be used instead of a passport for purposes of cross-border travel into the USA at land and water ports of entry.

When entering the United States, U.S. citizens are required to show passport, U.S. passport card, Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI, Global Entry or FAST) or an Enhanced Driver's License. Resident aliens must possess a green card.

A driver's license, social security card, or a voter registration card does not constitute proof of citizenship.

Our processing times begin the day we receive your application at a passport agency or center, not the day you mail your application or apply for a passport at a local acceptance facility. If you did not receive your passport in this time period, you can request a refund of the $60 expedited service fee.

Once you're sworn in as a U.S. citizen, you have the option of immediately applying for a U.S. passport.

Effective November 8, 2021, all non-U.S. citizen air travelers to the United States are required to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19 and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to the United States.

If travelling to the USA by air must have a Canadian passport or a valid NEXUS card. If travelling to the USA by land or sea, in addition to a passport, other proof of citizenship is allowed, such as an original or copy of his or her birth certificate or a Canadian Citizenship Card.

U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport; Passport Card; enhanced driver's license; Trusted Traveler Program card (SENTRI or Global Entry); U.S. military identification card when traveling on official orders; U.S. Merchant Mariner document when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business; or Form I- ...

Can you cross the US border by land without a passport? ›

If you are coming by land and is a citizen of a country eligible for the VWP, you are only required to have a valid passport. If coming by air and sea, you will need to have advance approval to travel through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

All travelers entering the United States from all other countries need a passport upon arrival (regardless of their country of citizenship). Permanent residents and foreign nationals may also need a U.S. visa.

Application processing time is approximately 3-4 weeks.

You must present an acceptable ID, such as a valid passport, state-issued enhanced driver's license or U.S. military ID, to fly within the U.S. You will not be allowed to fly if your identity cannot be verified.

You don't legally have to update your birth certificate, even if the name isn't the one that you go by in everyday life. However, the name on your birth certificate must match the one on your ID and your passport if you want to use it as legal identification.