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Passport checks before you travel abroad: the six-month rule and more

Many travellers are turned away at the check-in desk because of a passport that seemed fine at home. Airlines can refuse to let you board if your passport does not meet your destination's rules, because they must fly you home at their own cost if you are refused entry. Check your passport on the day you first think of the trip.

A passport is the only travel document that works

South African passports are issued by the Department of Home Affairs. Your green ID book or smart ID card is not accepted for flying abroad. Every traveller needs their own passport, including babies and children.

Apply early. Applications take weeks, and longer before the December and Easter holidays.

The six-month rule

A passport that is still valid on the day you fly may not be valid enough for the country you are visiting. Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after the date you leave them. Some ask for less, such as three months.

Work it out:

1. Find the date you will leave the destination country.
2. Add six months, or the destination's own period.
3. Your passport's expiry date must be after that date.

Check the current rule with the destination's official source and with your airline. If you travel through other countries on the way, check their rules too.

If your passport will not be valid for long enough, renew it before you apply for a visa. A visa placed in a passport that you then replace may not carry over.

Blank pages and damage

Visas and stamps need space. Many countries require one or two blank pages, sometimes facing each other. Count yours.

A damaged passport can be refused by an airline or by immigration. Damage includes:

• a torn or loose cover or pages;
• water damage or stains;
• a peeling data page or photograph;
• writing or marks that should not be there.

If your passport is damaged, apply for a new one before you travel.

The name on the ticket must match

The name on your ticket must match your passport exactly: the same spelling, the same order and the same first names. Common problems are a nickname, a married name on the ticket when the passport still shows a maiden name, a missing second name, or a typing mistake.

Check the name before you pay. If there is a mistake, contact the airline or agent at once, because changing a name later can cost money or be impossible.

Children

When children travel, especially with only one parent, some countries may ask for extra documents, such as the child's birth certificate showing the parents' names, or a consent letter from the parent who is not travelling. The rules change, so check with Home Affairs and the destination's official source well before you travel.

Keep it safe

• Make copies of the data page and any visa, on paper and on your phone.
• Leave a copy with someone at home.
• Carry the passport in a zipped inside pocket or a money belt.
• Hand it only to an official, your airline at check-in or your hotel at registration, and get it back straight away.

If it is lost or stolen abroad

1. Report it to the local police and get a written report.
2. Contact the nearest South African embassy or consulate, which can in general issue an emergency travel document so that you can get home.
3. Contact your travel insurer.

This guide is based on Chapter 2 of Your First Trip Abroad, which includes a full passport checklist.