Passports and ID

Validity rules, photo specs, Real ID and the passport questions that stop people at check-in.

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Passport Validity Rules: The 6-Month Rule and Blank Pages

How long your passport must stay valid, which date each country counts from, and how many blank pages to keep free.

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The size, background, expression and glasses rules for a US passport photo, the mistakes that put applications on hold, and the online and UK rules.

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Which IDs get you through TSA without a REAL ID, how to tell if your license complies, and what the $45 ConfirmID fee buys.

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Which marks count as damage, whether an airline will still board you, and how to replace a damaged US or UK passport before your trip.

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When a child traveling with one parent needs a consent letter, what it says and a template.

By TravelDocsGuide Editors

Which passport to book with, show at check-in and hand over at each border, with the US, UK and Canadian rules that leave you no choice.