Day of Horrors- Traveling Overseas

[Lodesman]

AFAIK airlines impose their own conditions on passport validity dates, because they're on the hook to remove you from the country they've brought you to, if you get refused entry - costs them the return flight. I don't know what visa requirements there are for the Philippines but if you already had a valid visa, you should have been good to go. A lot of countries only need your passport to be valid on entry, and it doesn't matter if it expires while you are there. Why should it? You don't need a passport to return to your own country; it just makes it easier.

[Hud3]

Actually, you do need your passport to return to the US. That's been the case for some years now. I take it from your comment that Canada does not?

[BandB]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Actually, you do need your passport to return to the US. That's been the case for some years now. I take it from your comment that Canada does not?

Additionally the airlines will not let you board to return to the US without a valid passport. However, you can renew your passport in the US Embassy in the country you're in.

[BandB]

As airlines have their own practices, one other thing I found was that just clearing immigration in various countries had it's own idiosyncrasies. Colombia was always humorous to me. I would fly there with native Colombians who I worked with also accompanying me. I might be asked one question and when I said I didn't speak Spanish would be waved immediately through even if carrying some supplies for our manufacturing facility. Meanwhile the Colombian would be examined at length, everything opened, and charged for bringing the same items in. I would be treated courteously as well and Colombians returning to their own country would be treated curtly and rudely. That may not still be the case but this was ten years or so ago.

[bobofthenorth]

Originally Posted by Hud3

Actually, you do need your passport to return to the US. That's been the case for some years now. I take it from your comment that Canada does not?

I realize that is your government's official position but just exactly what do you think will happen if you can prove you are a US citizen without a passport? I have an elderly friend in Arizona who flat out refuses to get a passport but continues to travel out of the US. He sums his attitude up by saying "ah'm a US citizen - they gotta let me come home". So far it has worked for him. I expect his wife would prefer a different approach.

[Hud3]

Do the airlines allow him to board? In my experience, they've always been very consistent about checking for a valid passport before allowing me to board.