To renew passport or not

Member since 08 August 2023

lorean82Member08 August 2023 15:42:14

Hello! I'm a South African living in the UK. I want to travel to the USA in October, but my passport expires in February. I have my visa already and my passport is valid there for the duration of stay. Will I be allowed back in the UK? I'm struggling to get this info confirmed.

Thanks!

Cynic UK/Netherlands Expert

Member since 15 September 2015

CynicUK/Netherlands Expert08 August 2023 18:23:13

8059

Hi and welcome to the Forum.

To enter the USA as a South African citizen, your passport need only be valid for the duration of your intended stay in the USA.

For the return journey, UK Government guidelines are that your non-UK passport should be valid for at least 6 months from the day of your arrival, if it's not, then you could be denied entry. These are guidelines and will be very much up to the interpretation of the Immigration Officer at the airport; you may also want to check with your airline as to what their requirements are.

My advice would be to renew your South African passport before you leave.

I hope this helps.

Cynic

Expat Team