Hey there, so I'm going to be backpacking through western europe (and the czech republic) for 5 weeks. My passport expires a little after our trip, and I've found this on a few websites:

"Some countries require that your U.S. passport be valid at least 6 months or longer beyond the dates of your trip. If your passport expires before the required validity, you will have to apply for a new one. Please check with the Embassy or nearest Consulate of the country that you plan to visit for their requirements."

http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochu...hures_1229.html


Any truth to this? What do I do? aaaah!

This is the case for quite a few countries, I'd suggest you renew your passport before you leave, or you could be refused entry on arrival.

I always understood that to be for getting a visa.

I would definately suggest getting a new passport before you leave. This will just make you enjoy your trip more knowing that you won't be denied entry into any countries.

I would say renew it now for two reasons.
First, it is true that many countries require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months after your entry (due to the fact that many of them allow you to stay up to 6 months as a visitor). Whether or not you actually intend to stay for those 6 months is irrelevant to them.
Second, with the idiotic mandate of the State Department to put RFID chips into passports, I'd much rather have an "old style" passport where terrorists can't read that I'm American from 30 feet away :wacko: Mine is good until 2014 and I don't plan to renew it any time before then.

Yes! you need to have a valid passport at least six months after you travel