Passport validity and entry rules by country

The arrival card is one check. At the counter, the officer also reads your passport’s expiry date and can ask how you will leave and how you will pay for the stay. Airlines check the passport rule at check-in as well.

This table covers the 20 destinations this site’s readers visit most. Every rule is quoted from a government page: an immigration department, a foreign ministry, an embassy or the law itself. The domain under each rule links to that page.

How to count the months

The table counts in four ways. Use the dates on your ticket, not today’s date.

• On the day you arrive. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and India want 6 months left when you land. Land on 1 March 2027 and the passport must still be valid on 1 September 2027.
• After your stay ends. The Philippines and the US count 6 months from the end of your planned stay. New Zealand counts 3 months from the day you leave. Turkey adds 60 days to the stay your visa or exemption allows, so a 90-day stay needs 150 days left on arrival.
• For your whole stay. The UK, Japan, Korea, Canada, Mexico and Australia only need the passport to be valid until you leave.
• No start date given. Singapore and the Dominican Republic say 6 months without saying from when. Count from the day you leave to be safe.

Exceptions are common. A Philippine immigration order lets 41 visa-free nationalities enter with less than 6 months, and passport agreements exempt many countries from the US rule. Canada goes the other way for visitor visa applicants: their passport should be valid for 6 months from the travel date. Each country row says who an exception covers.

E-passports

An e-passport has a chip inside and the e-passport symbol on the cover. Four destinations in the table have a chip rule:

• United States. The Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) only accepts e-passports. The requirement is in the law, 8 U.S.C. 1187.
• Australia. You apply for the ETA in the Australian ETA app, which reads the passport chip.
• Japan. Visa-free entry on Thai, Malaysian, Brazilian, UAE, Panamanian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Serbian and Montenegrin passports needs an ICAO-standard e-passport. Indonesian e-passports must be registered with a Japanese embassy or consulate first.
• United Kingdom. The UK ETA app scans the chip when it can and reads the details from a photo of the passport when it cannot. You do not need a chip.

For the other destinations we found no chip rule. Their official pages ask for a valid passport.

Return ticket and money

Most destinations in Asia ask for a ticket out. Thailand wants one leaving within 30 days of arrival. Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Qatar and the Dominican Republic require one, and Japan and Mexico say officers may ask for it. Australia says no return ticket is required, but officers still need to see that you can pay to leave. The Philippines’ 14-day visa-free entry for Chinese nationals, in force since 16 January 2026, also needs a confirmed hotel booking and only works at Manila (NAIA) and Mactan-Cebu airports.

Fixed amounts are rare. New Zealand asks for NZD 1,000 a month, or NZD 400 if your accommodation is paid. Thailand lists THB 20,000 per person. Most other countries ask for enough money for the stay and publish no number.

Photos

The Photo column shows what each country’s main form asks you to upload. Sizes and file limits are on Visa and entry form photo requirements.

What “No official rule found” means

We read the immigration, foreign-ministry and embassy pages for each country and quote what they say. “No official rule found” means those pages state no rule on that point. It does not stop an officer from asking. Rules change, and the official page linked in each row is the authority. The Checked column is the date we last read the rules for that country.

Questions

How many months must my passport be valid to travel?

It depends on the country. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and India ask for 6 months left on the day you arrive. The Philippines and the US count 6 months from the end of your stay, and both exempt many nationalities. New Zealand wants 3 months after you leave, Qatar 3 months on arrival. The UK, Japan, Korea, Canada, Mexico and Australia only need the passport to last for your stay, though Canada asks visitor visa applicants for 6 months from the travel date.

Do I need an e-passport?

Only for some routes. The US Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) requires one by law. Australia’s ETA is applied for in an app that reads the passport chip. Japan gives visa-free entry to Thai, Malaysian, Brazilian, UAE and five other passports only if they are ICAO-standard e-passports, and Indonesians must register theirs first. The UK ETA app works without a chip.

Do I need a return ticket to enter Thailand?

Yes, under the tourist visa exemption. Thai embassies say you need a confirmed air, train, bus or boat ticket out of Thailand within 30 days of arrival. Without one, get a tourist visa first.

How much money do I need to show in Thailand?

Thai embassy pages updated in September 2026 list THB 20,000 per person or THB 40,000 per family for the tourist visa exemption. The embassy in Wellington lists THB 10,000 and THB 20,000. Carry the higher amount.

Can I enter Japan with a passport that expires soon?

Yes, if it stays valid for your whole stay. The Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle says Japan sets no minimum remaining validity. Leave one blank page for the entry stamp.

What does “No official rule found” mean?

The immigration, foreign-ministry and embassy pages we read state no rule on that point. It does not stop an officer from asking. The official page linked in each row is the authority.