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I have been due to traveling from Turkey (Turkish Citizen-Non EU)) to Hungary. I was rejected to board the plane because my passport expires less than 3 months at the time of travel(departure time). (Although I have a return ticket one week later.) I didn't know that many countries require the passport have at least 3 months validity at the time of entrance ( I have a special passport; it doesn't require any visa to most countries) I was planning to fly Pegasus Airlines (Turkish low-cost airline).

I wonder what the situations are in other countries. Do Other airline companies let their passengers to fly and leave up to chance that the passenger cross the border. Has anybody been rejected of the entrance to the country at the custom office due to this rule? What happens somebody show up at the custom office with a passport less than 3 months of expiration date. Do the custom offices take this situation lightly at the border and let the passengers have the entrance to a country?

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    An airline that made a habit of carrying passengers whose passports etc. do not meet the official requirements for entry would have to budget a lot of money for fines and the cost of taking people back where they came from.
    – Patricia Shanahan
    Aug 25, 2019 at 22:10
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    The 3 months rule definitely applies to US citizens, who do not need visas. See U.S. Travelers in Europe
    – Patricia Shanahan
    Aug 25, 2019 at 22:24
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    @David the Schengen three month rule does not quite apply to everyone, since it does not apply EU citizens or nationals of Schengen countries. It also does not apply to people with residence permits or long-stay (type D) visas. It does apply to both Annex I travelers (who need visas) and Annex II travelers (who do not) when they enter for a "short stay" as defined in the Schengen Borders Code.
    – phoog
    Aug 26, 2019 at 3:02
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    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it is a survey, not a question.
    – fkraiem
    Aug 26, 2019 at 9:58
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    SMH well if everyone is going to reject a passport that is <6 months before expiry, why not just make the expiry 6 months earlier? Bad UX... They can put a footnote on the bottom saying the official legal expiry is 6 months later...
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Aug 26, 2019 at 18:28

3 Answers 3

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Passport requirements vary from country to country. To enter the Schengen area you must have a passport that is valid for three months beyond the date you expect to leave. Other countries may require six months, or require only that your passport is valid for the length of your stay.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct documentation*. There are many resources you can use for this, and many questions on this site are on this topic.

If an airline transports someone who doesn't have the correct documentation for the country they are visiting the airline can be fined and is responsible for removing you to a country that will accept you. This is why they check your documents and will deny you boarding if you don't comply.

* Passport validity, valid visa, and possibly other things like travel insurance or available funds.

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    This should say "to enter the Schengen area for a short stay...." It might also be helpful to note that this requirement does not apply to EU citizens nor to nationals of Schengen countries.
    – phoog
    Aug 26, 2019 at 3:04
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Its best to have 6 months extra on your passport flying around in Europe and surrounds.

Same applies going in to Turkey, they also are quite strict (I have heard from friends). You also need an eVisa printed and in your possession prior to boarding some flights from UK to Turkey.

Sorry you got caught by this. Im not sure if its an official national / EU rule or some sort of extra standard imposed by border control, but please take it as a rule of thumb: 6 months or more.

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  • Note to self: check all kids passports each year around May, with good time to order new ones prior to summer holiday in July. Annoyingly, some kids passports are only valid for 2 or 3 years...
    – vikingsteve
    Aug 27, 2019 at 7:21
  • Downvoters, care to comment on the quality of this answer and how it can be improved?
    – vikingsteve
    Aug 27, 2019 at 13:59
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It happened to me last year, they didn't deny me boarding but said I may have trouble with passport control at the destination airport. No-one noticed though.

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    That seems unusual. If you have trouble with passport control at the destination airport and get sent straight back, the airline that let you board would have to pay for the return flight and possibly a large fine. Unless the airline knows "people with this kind of passport tend to be interviewed for hours, but are always allowed to enter".
    – gnasher729
    Aug 26, 2019 at 18:40
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    Without knowing which country you are a citizen and which country you were flying to this is no use for others. Can you edit that in?
    – Willeke ♦
    Aug 27, 2019 at 4:29

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