Six month Passport rule

[Snoweman]

Things should be getting back to normal

Passport Agencies

Why do you think this is close to back to normal? Phases 1 & 2 still don't allow in person expedited passports unless there are life and death circumstances. Their backlog is still huge, but moderately shrinking.

 

[Snoweman]

A rule is a rule, I have never seen a Mexican official that concerned about the 6 month rule provided it was still valid but I have seen over zealous gate agents deny boarding over this. In a multi leg trip this would really suck to have it fall through just prior to your last leg. The reasoning is that if you are denied entry at your foreign destination the carrier that brought you is required to return you to your embarkation country. They may try to charge you after the fact but they are on the hook by the denying country to return you. This has been true for a very long time, at Ellis Island when folks did not make the cut they became a liability to the shipping companies that transported them. Contrary to myths, Ellis island was not a immigrant welcome center but a controlled border entry point.

Did you miss the post of Mexico and about 80 other countries being exempt from the six month rule?

 

[gopbroek]

Did you miss the post of Mexico and about 80 other countries being exempt from the six month rule?

15 minutes prior to boarding and suppose the gate agent hasn't heard about it and remembers, dimly, from their training many years back the '6 month rule'. While you may be right you probably wouldn't get it sorted out prior to boarding. There are a lot tourist destinations with a once weekly flight (United's flight to Cozumel as an example) but what the hell you can relish in the comfort of the moral high ground until the next flight.
I was almost denied boarding once because the strip reader at the counter caused a small tear in the main page of my passport, there is also a no damage rule.

 

[Snoweman]

15 minutes prior to boarding and suppose the gate agent hasn't heard about it and remembers, dimly, from their training many years back the '6 month rule'. While you may be right you probably wouldn't get it sorted out prior to boarding. There are a lot tourist destinations with a once weekly flight (United's flight to Cozumel as an example) but what the hell you can relish in the comfort of the moral high ground until the next flight.

Print the PDF in the post and carry it in your carry-on.

 

[ReefHound]

Print the PDF in the post and carry it in your carry-on.

That would be wise to do but I can't see a gate agent taking a customer's printout over what they always believed was the rule.

 

[Snoweman]

That would be wise to do but I can't see a gate agent taking a customer's printout over what they always believed was the rule.

A printout from a government website???

 

[DandyDon]

A printout from a government website???

Yeah, the gate agent was trained by the airline that writes his/her checks, so if the agent even thinks that his/her training said not to allow even tho a printout says otherwise, s/her will go with the company and hope his/her supervisor backs him/her up. We've all seen impressive fake documents and photos. At worst, better to refund the customer's ticket than incur a big fine from the other country. I can see it.

 

[Mattom]

Cross posting this here as well.
Mexico is part of the "6 month club". It's a US program but it's reciprocal. Basically as long as you're passport is valid upon entry, it's automatically extended up to 6 months. You obviously cannot stay past the 6 months. The issue may be getting the airlines to board you as they don't always know these things. You could contact the airlines reservation number and ask them to make a note in your reservation regarding your passport once they confirm it's validity.

I also recommend you could contact the Mexican Consulate directly for guidance if there are still questions. That's one of their functions.

As for US Citizens returning to the US, an expired US passport is valid for re-entry.

From the Mexican Consulate site:
It is recommendable that the passports should have at least 6 months validity before expiration.
https://consulmex.sre.gob.mx/detroit/index.php/servicios-para-extranjeros/visas-en-ingles

From the US Dept. of State site for Mexico:
PASSPORT VALIDITY:
Passport must be valid at time of entry.
Mexico International Travel Information

And the Six month club list, which is reciprocal and Mexico is a part of.
Six-Month Club Update | U.S. Customs and Border Protection

 

[Scraps]

On a return trip from the Caribbean (either Coz or Cayman, I don't recall), the US Customs and Immigration agent warned me that I had to get my passport renewed as I was near the 6 month expiration date. That was the first I ever heard of it. I thanked him and now renew my passport at least 6 months before it expires taking into consideration that it may take 6-8 weeks for the renewal to be processed (that was pre-covid). I considered myself to have been warned and plan accordingly. So that 10 year passport is really only good for 9.5 years.

The key is that “plan accordingly” part. It avoids problems and, in the case of passports, probably won’t cost you any extra money.

Assuming you use passports for leisure travel from age 30 to age 85, you will buy the same number of passports, whether they’re good for 9-1/2 or 10 years.

 

[ToneNQ]

..............snip...................What are the real facts?

I know a guy that was refused entry into Chuuk/Truk for not having six months validity, even though he had a return ticket for a week later. He says that another FSM immigration officer was pleading his case, but the decision was made by someone with higher authority or enough independence to make their own choice. If there is ambiguity, I'd just get a new passport.