Passport expiry

[08012006]

Travelling solely within the EEC, is it necessary to have a certain period remaining before your passport expires; I seem to recall that some countries require there to be 3 months validity remaining after you are due to depart from that country.

[gazzawazza]

There's no requirement for any period remaining, you can travel right up to date of expiry in Europe.
I think there's only one country which requires six months but Buenchico will be along any minute to post a full and complete answer.

[Buenchico]

Thanks for the introduction, Gazzawazza!

EU law requires all member states to admit anyone who can prove their citizenship of any other member state (by producing a valid passport or national ID card) throughout the validity period of that document. Since you're never obliged to leave any EU country (as you have the automatic right to live and work there) it would be impossible for any country to make a regulation based upon your departure date.

Incidentally, passport controls have been almost completely abolished across the whole of the EU. Anyone can move freely between any two member countries without the need to present either a passport or a national ID card. (Airlines might require photographic ID but that's completely separate to passport regulations). That applies to non-EU citizens, such as Americans, Brazilians or Iraqis, just as much as it does to EU citizens. Out of the 27 member states only two countries have yet to abolish passport controls for inter-EU travel. The UK refuses to do so. Ireland would like to do so but can't unless it closes the currently open border between the Republic and Northern Ireland.

Chris

[Malagabob333]

Spot on Buenchico. Its the travel agents, who if Im right stipulate validity of passports.
Its something to do with If the traveler is hospitalised for a long period.Maybe you can correct me if I am wrong.