Passport Dilemma - Runs out 6 weeks after returning from US

[ithoughtisawapuddycat]

We are travelling to America over Christmas and New Year returning early January. DH passport runs out end of February. The gov website says as long as it is valid beyond the dates we're travelling that is all that matters.

Cannot find any information about what happens if we renew early and they add the additional months from the old passport onto the new one. Flights booked with BA and they told us they cannot give advice and to look at what the gov website says.

Can anyone help?

Should we just renew the passport now?

USA just needs to be valid for the duration of your stay if it’s a British passport.

www.postoffice.co.uk/identity/soon-to-expire-passport

They don't add unexpired months on anymore - you get a 10 year only passport.
I would get a new passport personally to avoid any issues if they change the rules about how much time you need left. But I'd probably apply in early September.

They don't add the additional time anymore, if you renew six months early that's your choice and you get issued a new passport for 10 years (rather than 10 years and six months)

I'd get a new one now, passport waits are horrendous and airlines can put their own rules in place and refuse boarding with less than 6 months.

Thank you all. We will probably look at sending it to renew in August to give us 4 months to get it back. Thankfully mine doesn't expire until 2029.

I'd renew the passport now,fast track, so I had new one in plenty time to deal with whatever bureaucratic hoops your airline and US government have in place. If you don't already , I recommend you take your travel insurance out for longer than your proposed stay in US. Nightmare if your return travel is delayed and you require medical treatment.

Thanks Dinah, we were going to do that with the insurance to be on the safe side.

For the USA there is no extra period of validity required, the passport only has to be valid for the duration of stay.

no additional months are now added, it would be a new 10 year passport.

Definitely get a new one. My sister got a one day appointment after a three week wait. Its not worth the worry.