to panic that DD'S passport expires a month after we fly home??

[ihateminecraft]

We are due to fly to Mexico next week. DD'S passport expires about a month after we get home. I knew this when I booked the holiday a while ago so checked online on several sites, including the UK gov one, which all said as long as the passport was in date for the duration of the holiday it was fine, so I didn't worry.

Today a friend, who has just booked a last minute holiday, was saying that they were restricted where they could go as her son's passport has less than 6 months to run. They're going to Spain which, like Mexico, is fine so long as the passport is in date for the trip. She said they were still a bit worried as they'd heard some airlines impose the 6 month rule even if the destination is OK with less.

Now I'm panicking! We're flying wirh BA so I went onto their website which says under "passport requirements" that you should check what the requirements are for your particular destination. They posted a link you could go to to check; under Mexico again it said under 6
months was fine. Surely if BA had their own policy regardless of Mexico 's rules it would say so on their website?? A bit of googling led me to find a thread saying that Delta have a blanket 6 month rule, but I can't find anything else.

Tbh, if it's not ok, it's a bit bloody late as we have no time to hang around the passport office between now and departure!

Anyone know if I can sleep at night or not??

It's up to the individual airline , therefore if BA says it's fine and you are flying with BA it will be ok.

I thought it was the country who set the rules, but airlines get fined if they fly people over without following the rules, which is why they are so strict.

We got back from Spain today and OH has less than 4 months left on his passport and it was fine, but then this was within the EU.

I had a look [https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/mexico/entry-requirements here]] which suggests you will be fine. Along as you don't have any stops in the USA.

Link fail. here

It is the country rather than the airline who set the deadline. I believe you are fine if you have direct flights to and from Mexico.

Yep. Thats the same link I checked when I originally booked which led me to believe it would be fine.

She'll be fine in the USA as well, you only have to have a passport valid on the day you leave here.

Have you entered your passport details onto the airline site for either booking/checking in? Wouldn't any problem with expiry dates have come up at that point?

Haven't done that yet. Will do tonight. Presume if problem computer will say no?!?

Not necessarily. The six month rule is usually waived for certain nationalities, it is waived for British passports in the USA for example. This is why is causes huge confusion. If the Foreign Office and the airline both say it is fine then you are highly unlikely to have an issue.

Ring the Mexican embassy?

Have fun down Mexico way

I'm sure it will be fine. My brother made it all the way to Barbados with a passport that expired 8 months earlier. And all the way home again :)

Just bloody renew it when you get home.

Have a great time!

When I say it's up to the airline what I meant was the airline can impose stricter criteria than the country.

Not true for the US, SueFla, I know from bitter experience

I believed you had to have 6 months left on passport for trips to US

This is a major aside as not relevant to Mexico. Lots of confusion about the U.S. 6 month rule on this thread. This is from the U.S. Embassy in London: london.usembassy.gov/mobile/faq-passports.html

Passport validity and the least six month rule.

The requirement that a passport is valid for travel for six months beyond the holder's stay in the United States is waived for certain nationalities, including British Citizens.

If you are traveling visa free under the Visa Waiver Program and your passport is not valid for 90 days, you will be admitted until the date on which the passport expires.

Entered passport details into booking on BA and it didn't throw up an error which I take as a good sign. The thread that caused all this panic was on TripAdvisor. The person was a US citizen travelling on Delta to Mexico, about 3 years ago! We have British passports and valid ESTAS so presume it doesn't apply to u?. NB. the person in question wasn't denied boarding but got a, presumably standard, email from Delta that 6 months was required so renewed the passport just in case!

its not up to the airline, its up to the country- so check with Mexico and if they says it OK, Its OK!

Littlefluffyclouds81, your bro has nerves of STEEL!!!!

Littlefluffyclouds81 did that happen recently? I would believe that now adays there are controls for that, and if not it is worrying.

I think I would believe the airline and government over one random person online.

For anyone interested, I just called American Airlines (we have connecting flight with them). They confirmed that providing the passport is in date for the duration of the holiday, no problem! Phew!

Official government website. If you click the link at the bottom the UK is exempt.

help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/572/~/entering-the-u.s.---documents-required-for-foreign-nationals-(international