How long is a passport valid and is it true that it needs to have at least 6 months of validity remaining? If you were age 16 or older when your passport was issued, your passport is valid for 10 years. If you were under 16 when your passport was issued, your passport is valid for 5 years.

In 2026, the validity of a passport depends primarily on the age of the holder at the time of issuance. For most adults (ages 16 and older), a standard passport is valid for 10 years. For children and minors under the age of 16, passports are generally valid for only 5 years, as their physical appearance changes more rapidly. It is a critical "traveler's rule" in 2026 to remember the Six-Month Rule: many countries, particularly in the Schengen Area and parts of Asia, require your passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your date of departure. This means that while your passport might technically be "good" for another five months, it may be functionally useless for international travel. Additionally, some countries like India have phased out older 20-year or handwritten passports in favor of Machine Readable Passports (MRPs) and e-passports. You should always aim to renew your passport approximately nine months before it expires to avoid being caught by these specific entry requirements.