How many blank passport pages do you need to travel to each country

How many blank passport pages do you need to travel to each country

Every country has different regulations on how many blank passport pages you need to travel. Either one, two, three, or more, here is a guide for each country in the world.

After traveling over 105 countries with a Colombian passport, I mastered the art of managing passport pages and visas. I come from a country where, most of the time, I need to apply for a visa beforehand. Furthermore, if I want to travel to multiple countries on one trip, I have to keep a lot in mind. I must calculate how many empty pages I will have left by the end of the journey, how many visas I need to apply for beforehand, and how many blank pages are mandatory before arrival.

Today, I’m trying to keep my 5th passport for as long as possible, and I want to fill all of its 32 pages before applying for a new one. In this article, I will tell you the number of blank passport pages required by each country and a couple of tricks and tips I learned through the years.

In July I will have to apply for my 6th Colombian passport in the past 15 years. My current passport is at the Mali Embassy in Berlin

Blank passport pages required by each country before arrival

Africa

INSIDER INFO:
Namibia is the country where you need the most amount of the pages to travel to. The Namibian stamp occupies almost an entire page, and if you need an extension permit in Namibia, they will stamp an additional page. I visited Namibia and extended once my visa. I ended up giving 3 total pages on this trip.

Americas

North America

NOTE: The United States does not stamp your passport when exiting the country. However, each time you transit in U.S. territory, you need to have all the necessary paperwork as if you were to enter the country – this means visas and ESTA are mandatory for transfers in the USA.

Central America & Caribbean

South America

Travelers holding a passport from the “Comunidad Andina” do not need to stamp their passports unless they want it. Additionally, these travelers can also just cross between South American countries by land or air with just an official I.D.

INSIDER INFO:
If you enter the territory of Palestine from Israel, your passport will not be stamped – and the blank passport pages rule won’t count. Also, for travelers entering Israel, and the territories of Hong Kong or Macau, the stamp will be printed in a paper, which you will have to keep until the end of your stay.

Europe

Non-EU countries

European Union

This regulation of blank pages only applies to the first country you enter in the European Union. If you travel between several countries of the European Union, your passport will not be stamped (and in most cases won’t be controlled) – except for Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia.

Additionally, you won’t have to pass any border control if you travel overland in other territories like Liechtenstein, Vatican City, Monaco, Switzerland, San Marino, or Andorra.

This is called the Schengen Area, and once you enter the European Union, you can have free movement over these Schengen States. – See the full list here.

Oceania

FUN FACT:
The passport stamp of the country of Palau is a full-page pledge, in which you sign that you will protect the nature of the country and not cause any harm.

Palau passport stamp, also known as the Palau pledge

How to save blank passport pages during long trips

As a basic rule, most embassies and travel experts recommend adding the requirements for each country together if you are planning to visit multiple countries during the same trip. However, I find this rule a bit over-cautious; then, each page can be stamped six times in most cases.

And yes, there are border agents who love to stamp a new page every time they see one. However, if you can keep better control, where border agents can stamp your passport, you can visit many countries only using a few pages.

If I’m traveling with a new passport and want to keep as many pages as possible, I always ask the border officers to please stamp the first page. They might not do it, as many officers consider the first page some kind of taboo. Still, they will keep that in mind and try to stamp you on the first pages of your passport.

Between EU countries, you will usually just see one small sign that separates one country from the other.

Also, if you are running out of pages, and you need to have as many blank pages as possible, simply put a sticky note on your blank passport pages, asking to not stamp there. I’ve done it dozens of times traveling around, and this trick has saved me multiple times. In most cases, border patrol officers find it funny, and they will greet me with a smile and good wishes.

This trick always makes the officers laugh and helps me keep as many blank pages as possible

Finally, make the most of the countries that do not stamp passports. Smaller territories like San Marino, Liechtenstein, or Andorra offer “official” tourist stamps when traveling. And while these stamps will not cause you any problem, when traveling to a new country, they might be a bit annoying if you lack out of pages and need to get a new passport because of that San Marino stamp you didn’t need.

Additionally, souvenir stamps are mostly a No-Go. Some countries consider souvenirs stamps an alteration of the passport, and they might deny you entry into the country.

I met once a traveler who got the souvenir passport stamps of West and East Berlin, and later he couldn’t enter Russia because of them. I’ve also heard similar stories with the stamps of Machu Pichu and the Galapagos Islands.

If you really want to have some of these souvenir stamps, do it with expired passports or old passports with free pages.

What about visas?

Regarding visas, regulations might also change from country to country. As a basic rule, if you need a visa to a particular country, just add one blank passport page to the amount you need before arrival. However, to make sure the information is 100% true, call that country’s embassy and confirm it.

For the application of e-visas, an additional page won’t be necessary. Also, if you are applying for a visa using a third-party service, they are very happy to help you with the application and inform you about the visa, and blank page regulations you might face.

INSIDER INFO:
For complicated visas or express processes, I use iVisa. This company can take care of all your visa applications for a fee. This might increase the cost of your trip in general, but if you live in a remote area, your country does not have this embassy, or you simply do not have the time to deal with the visa process, this companies is a lifesaver.

Click HERE and check them out.

While some visas might take just 1-2 application days, other might last weeks

How do I find cheap flights?

Finding a cheap flight anywhere around the world is not always easy. It’s about comparing platforms, selecting the right routes and booking at the right time. Fortunately, platforms like Skyscanner became known as an all-in-one tool for booking flights at the lowest cost possible.

They analyse every potential company and sub-contractor in order to find the lowest price available for you. Not only that, but you can also select the option “Travel Anywhere” and let Skyscanner find the cheapest place to travel at any selected date.

I check all my flights first at Skyscanner, and in 90% of the cases, I find the best option for me to book.

Also, by booking here using Skyscanner, you will support my blog and help me create more amazing and useful content.

How many months do I need on my passport to travel?

Having a valid passport is essential for international travel, but countries have different rules around when a passport expires — and it’s not necessarily the date shown on your document. After Brexit, for example, UK passport holders now need to have a passport that’s less than ten years old when you enter an EU member state, with an expiry date that’s at least three months after the day you leave.

For some destinations, a valid passport isn’t the only requirement — you may also need to have full blank pages for visa and entry and exit stamps. Here’s everything you need to know, including the entry requirements for some of the most popular destinations for British travellers.

Main photo: wherever you’re going, check the passport requirements (Alamy)

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Corsica: your passport must be less than ten years old when you enter and valid for at least three months after you leave (Alamy)

Popular destinations

• Spain: passport must be less than ten years old when you enter the country and valid for at least three months after the day you leave.

• Greece: less than ten years old when you enter the country and valid for at least three months after the day you leave.

• France: less than ten years old when you enter the country and valid for at least three months after the day you leave.

• Italy: less than ten years old when you enter the country and valid for at least three months after the day you leave.

• US: passport must be valid for duration of stay, no additional validity required.

The US: your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay (Getty Images)

Less than three months needed

• Argentina: passport must be valid for duration of stay

• Australia: valid for duration of stay.

• Barbados: valid for duration of stay.

• Bermuda: valid for duration of stay

• Canada: valid for duration of stay

• Chile: valid for duration of stay

• Cuba: valid for two months after departure.

• Japan: valid for duration of stay

• Jamaica: valid for duration of stay

• Mexico: valid for duration of stay.

• Morocco: valid for duration of stay but three additional months is advisable

• Seychelles: valid for duration of stay.

• St Lucia: valid for duration of stay

• Tunisia: valid for duration of stay

Tunisia: your passport must be valid for the duration of your stay (Alamy)

Three months needed

• EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden): passport must be valid from day after departure and less than ten years old

• Iceland: passport must be valid from day after departure and less than ten years old.

• Norway: from day after departure and less than ten years old

• Switzerland: from day after departure and less than ten years old

Switzerland: your passport will need to be valid from day after departure and less than ten years old (Getty Images)

Six months needed

• Anguilla: passport must be valid for six months from arrival

• Antigua and Barbuda: from arrival

• Bolivia: from arrival

• Dominican Republic: from arrival (as of July 31, 2022)

• Taiwan: from arrival

India: your passport be valid 180 days from visa application and arrival, and contain two blank pages (Alamy)

Which countries require blank pages in your passport?

Some countries require full blank pages for visas on arrival as well as entry and exit stamps. In some cases, these blank pages need to be consecutive. Double check with the embassy before you travel.

• India: passport must be valid 180 days from visa application and arrival, and contain two blank pages

• Kenya: valid six months from arrival, plus two blank pages

• Mauritius: valid for duration of stay, plus a blank page

• Namibia: valid six months from arrival, plus a blank page

• Rwanda: valid six months from arrival, plus a blank page

• Turkey: valid six months from arrival, plus a blank page.

• South Africa: valid for six months from arrival and 30 days on departure, plus two blank pages

How do I find out how long I need on my passport?

The Foreign Office has a full list of entry requirements for different countries, including passport validity. It assumes you are travelling on a full, standard British passport. If you have a passport issued from a British Overseas Territory, the entry requirements may be different for some destinations. You should also double check details with the embassy of the country you’re visiting.

What’s the minimum passport validity to enter the UK?

The UK government requires visitors from other countries to have a passport (or other valid ID if from EU countries, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein) that is valid for the duration of their stay. No additional validity is required.

How do I get a new passport if I need one?

You can apply for a new passport online via the government’s website. It costs £75.50 for a standard adult passport (valid 10 years), or £49 for a child under 16 (valid five years), and you’ll need a credit or debit card for this. Alternatively you can apply for one through the post; the forms for postal applications are available through the Post Office and it costs £85 for an adult or £58.50 for a child.

You’ll need to send in certain documents which usually include a birth certificate if it’s your first passport, or your previous passport if you’re renewing. The requirements vary according to your circumstances but the application form will tell you what you need.

Take me there

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Q&A: Is my passport valid? How much time do I need on my passport to be valid for travel?

There is no globally approved time for passport validity. We list which countries require as little as one day to 180 days.

Q: How much time do I need on my passport to be valid for travel?

A: Passport validity has become a bain for British travellers because there is no globally approved time. What is considered to be valid depends on where you go.

Since BREXIT, the rules for British travellers have changed as Britain is now considered a ‘third country’. This means the passport must meet two criteria:

1. There must be at least three months left from the date of departure from the country.
2. The passport must have been issued within ten years.

The Your Europe website has more information.

Some countries like Australia, Canada and the US require your travel document to be in-date for the duration of your trip, while others, such as India, require 180 days (almost six months).

Some destinations even have rules about how many blank pages you should have in your passport to allow for new immigration stamps.

Passport validity must only cover the time of your intended stay:

Valid for one day

Costa Rica requires Britons to have one day’s validity from the day of their departure.

Valid for one month/30 days

New Zealand requires your passport to be valid for one month from your date of exit.

Valid for two months

Cuba requires you to have a passport with two months’ validity from your departure date.

Valid for three months

All EU countries, plus those in the Schengen Area (excluding Ireland), require you to have three months left on your passport from the day you plan to leave. Your passport must also be less than ten years old on the day you enter the country. This is true for the following countries:

Non-European countries that require three months’ validity on your day of departure:

Valid for six months

Most other countries, including the popular hot spots Maldives, Dubai, Turkey and Israel, require your passport to be valid for six months from the date you arrive in the country. Do check the Foreign Office’s individual entry requirements for the country you’re visiting to make sure.

NOTE: As well as six months validity, Kenya and Madagascar require two blank pages available in your passport. Namibia requires one blank page.

Valid for 180 days + 2 blank pages

India requires a more specific 180 days of validity from the date you arrive. It also asks visitors to have two blank pages available for their visa.

South Africa requires you to have 30 days left on your passport from your date of exit, but it is widely recommended to allow six months or more. You must also have two blank pages left for immigration stamps.

Incidentally…

The NHS has extended the validity of barcodes on Covid-19 passes to six months, so those travelling no longer need to download, print or save a new copy every 30 days.

Source https://www.thetravelersbuddy.com/2022/05/17/blank-passport-pages-to-travel/

Source https://www.thetimes.co.uk/travel/advice/how-many-months-do-i-need-on-my-passport-to-travel

Source https://www.thetravelmagazine.net/is-my-passport-valid/