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I just booked a flight to South Korea and my passport expires just over 3 months from the date I return.

I'm trying to figure out whether I need to renew my passport and I'm getting conflicting information - most say no passport validity is required, some say 3 months, a few say 6 months (altho a lot of the 6 months are giving general advice and not for South Korea specifically)

A lot of people say to use this website (https://www.iatatravelcentre.com/) to put in your details and it seems to say I should be okay. I've also verified that my airline (Asiana Airlines) that I'm flying is on the list of carriers.

Just wondering if this website is reliable and is what the airport will determine whether they'll let you board or not?

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  • Have you tried the official S Korea government website? And/or emailing?
    – Traveller
    Commented Sep 21, 2023 at 15:29
  • I think IATA (aviation organization, so not a .com, nor a travel center) is a different organization compared to a "iatatravelcentre".
    – Giacomo Catenazzi
    Commented Sep 21, 2023 at 15:33
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    @Traveller - yes, it doesn't explicitly say anything about a validity period. It just says it needs to be a valid passport. visa.go.kr/openPage.do?MENU_ID=10107
    – Mr Pizzzzzza
    Commented Sep 21, 2023 at 15:38
  • @GiacomoCatenazzi mmm good point...
    – Mr Pizzzzzza
    Commented Sep 21, 2023 at 15:39
  • South Korea requirements on passport validity for entering the country and how long you are given entry for may apply. Seems unlikely they would care about how long your passport is valid for once you leave South Korea. If from the USA, you can enter the USA with an expired passport.
    – Jon Custer
    Commented Sep 21, 2023 at 16:21

1 Answer 1

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The IATA Travel Centre is based on Timatic, one of the databases used by airlines to check documentation requirements.

While some airlines use Traveldoc instead, both are generally reliable.

When checking Timatic for a few random citizenships for entry into South Korea, the only result I have received is:

Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be valid on arrival.

This would mean there’s no extended validity requirement. Of course your passport should remain valid throughout your stay, but that seems to be about it.

By contrast, some other countries actually have extra validity requirements, for instance France:

Passports and other documents accepted for entry must be valid for a minimum of 3 months beyond the period of intended stay.

The results may vary by citizenship, but if both the IATA Travel Centre and Traveldoc say it’s fine I don’t foresee a problem.

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  • Thanks. Do you have a link to traveldoc?
    – Mr Pizzzzzza
    Commented Sep 21, 2023 at 22:03
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    @MrPizzzzzza traveldoc.aero
    – jcaron
    Commented Sep 21, 2023 at 22:33

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