United States | CBP updates list of countries exempt from six-month passport validity rule

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an update to its Carrier Liaison Program (CLP), revising the list of countries whose nationals are exempt from the six‑month passport validity rule.

Key Points:

• On Dec. 18, 2025, CBP published a revised list of countries whose citizens do not need six months of remaining passport validity beyond their intended U.S. stay. Travelers from these countries are only required to present a passport valid for the intended period of stay, not six months beyond it.
• The current list contains more than 100 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe.
• Travelers not from an exempt country must still comply with the longstanding U.S. requirement [9 FAM 403.9-3(B)(1) (U)] that passports be valid six months beyond the intended period of stay.
• The updated bulletin supersedes the last list contained in the 2022–2023 Carrier Information Guides and all prior CLP bulletins, including earlier versions circulated to air carriers.

Additional Information: CBP advises carriers and travelers to refer to the Department of State’s online resource: 9 FAM 403.9‑3(b)(2)(f) – Extend Passport Validity for the most current list of exempt countries, as updates may occur outside the issuance of CLP bulletins.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

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