If you are a frequent traveler to countries that require a visa, this is an article for you. It will also help anyone who will obtain a visa that may outlive their passport. There are a few countries that offer visas valid for up to ten years. A U.S. adult passport is valid for ten years and getting a visa with ten years validity will surely remain valid after the passport expires. So, what do you do if your expired passport has a valid visa?
Expired Passport & Valid Visa
In most instances, if you have an expired passport, your valid visa becomes invalid or expired as well. We all know countries will not accept an expired passport for entry. Therefore, most of us are likely not to travel with an old passport. Most countries require three or six months of validity on a passport before admission is granted.
However, some countries will make an exception for tourist and business visitors with a visa valid for ten years that can be used for multiple entries. If you have such visa type, contact the country’s embassy or consulate to verify you can travel with your expired passport before going. You don’t want to go thousands of miles to be turned away because of your expired passport and assuming your visa is still valid.
Countries with Exceptions
Three countries will allow visitors to use their valid visa in an expired passport. However, if you are applying for a ten-year visa and your passport has a few years, you may get a shorter time visa than the ten-year.
Brazil
Brazil is what of the countries that allow visitors with a tourist or business visa to enter with an expired passport. There are other visa types with a shorter time, so these types are likely to expire before the passport.
Having a visa that can be used for multiple entries still has restrictions on how long you can stay. For Brazil visa, you can stay up to 90 days on each entry or up to 180 days in one year. To gain entry with an expired passport, you must have your new and the old passport with the visa when you travel. Brazil will still accept the visa as long as it is still valid.
India
India is another country that issues 10-year visas. U.S. citizens will get the long term visa when they visit as a tourist. However, business travelers don’t necessarily get long-term visas unless they apply for it. India gives one, five, and ten-year visas to applicants.
Similar to Brazil, India will accept a valid visa in an expired passport. However, you must have two passports, a valid one and the expired one with the visa. You would have another option if your passport expired. You can apply for a visa transfer to the new passport. If you do, you must submit the application, passport, photo, and all the other documents.
China
Like Brazil and India, you can use your visa until it expires to enter China. You must carry both passports to gain entry. However, China has one rule that applies to an expired passport. Your personal information must be the same in both passports. That is, your name should be the same. So, if you get a new passport with a name change, you cannot use the visa in the old passport even if it is valid.
When you apply and receive a Chinese visa, the information about the name change is printed next to the visa. So, if you change your name, you must apply for a new visa.
Other Countries
Many of the other countries will not allow visitors to use a valid visa in a passport expired. In most cases, you must apply for a new visa or a visa transfer if it is possible. The best thing to do is call the country’s embassy or consulate you got the visa from and inquire about their policies. You can also visit the embassy or consulate website for more information.