Today, I went to the airport to start the amazing 3 week vacation in Costa Rica that I've been saving for and planning for more than a year. They wouldn't let me on the plane because my passport expires in less than 6 months. FML
Collection
Halloween
A failed costume, stolen candy and a very real scare: Halloween, the one night when fear is allowed.
Today, after cancelling work, arguing with my family, scrambling to pack my bags, speeding to the airport and filling in immigration forms to fly out to have a much needed holiday, I wasn't allowed to check in. My passport has less than 6 months away from expiration on it. Yes, that's a thing, apparently. FML
Today, after months of planning and saving for our honeymoon in Italy, my wife and I were turned away at the airport because my passport only has a month until it expires, even though it's only a five-day trip. FML
Today, I found out that my passport expired two days ago, two days before my first vacation abroad. I only found out when the airline employee scanned it at check-in, looked at me with sympathy, and said, "I don't think you're going anywhere today." My friends are currently posting beach photos while I'm filling out passport renewal forms. FML
Today, I woke up excited for my trip to Jamaica with my friends. We went to the airport, and I gave them my passport to check in. They gave it back. It had expired three weeks ago. I watched my friends board the plane while I'm stuck in the city. FML
Today, I went with my girlfriend to the airport for some much needed vacation time. We arrived on time but were stopped at the gate when they told me I didn't have the right passport. The plane left without me. My girlfriend did too. FML
Today, after spending 2 years saving for my flights, I was denied boarding due to issues with my passport. I heading straight to the embassy only to be told a replacement will take 8 days. The airline will only hold my place for 7. FML
Today, I finally received my passport. Too bad my flight to Italy left last week. FML
Today, I got to Costa Rica for my first vacation in five years. I immediately rented a scooter for the week after checking into my prepaid, no refunds, hotel. On the way back from the rental agency I hit a pothole and broke my leg and ripped the skin off my foot. I'm flying home tomorrow. FML
Today, I was unable to go on my dream vacation because I thought I'd lost my passport. Feeling incredibly stupid, I had no choice but to watch my plane depart without me. Shortly after, my brother handed me passport, saying that since I wasn't going on my trip, I could use my refund to pay for his cat's surgery. My trip was non-refundable. FML
Today, I picked up my passport, as my previous one was damaged in a car crash. As the teller warned me that a pattern of damaged passports would result in longer processing periods, she spilled her coffee - all over my new passport. I'm supposed to go overseas in a month. FML
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Top comments
mariazzz 5
Yeap. it's true. It's ridiculous but true your passport can't be within 6 months of expiring. Real ****** up!!
FYLDeep 26
Why the hell does that matter? I could see if it expired 6 months ago, but what the hell?
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Comments (155)
smileeee_fml 0
omg how slack !
pimplayer 0
the car has way too many mods bro it's a kool looking car, but keep it clean
ironwords 8
I call fake.
SkateboardGirl88 11
i agree with #90
smileeee_fml 0
thaanks (:
lalagurl11 6
What's slack?
L3Paparazzo 7
omg ciaoo Costarica :(
tminihan 0
fyl op
joeishome1 0
hi what's up
Jersayyyyshore 0
12 is a creep, obv l3paparazzo is out of his league.
barniclest 0
dont blame him for tryin though she like superhot!!!
tulsafml 0
Hey! I'm the top creep here so back away
RedPillSucks 33
NOT. You only bare a vague resemblance to pedo bear.
countryboyj17 0
$10 says she pulled her shirt down before takin that picture.. js
unfortunate_13 5
six months? where was that airport?
lilobennett 0
I don't know if it's the same in EVERY country, but here (Australia) I heard that if there's six months or less left on your passport you need to renew it or you can't fly out of the country. the only good reasoning I can see for that is if you go somewhere an your passport expires while you're gone. but that really sucks OP. you're only gonna be gone three weeks do I don't udestand why they can't just let you go :(
skylarbee 8
it's that way in Canada soon.
L3Paparazzo 7
idk but i really hope not , thats sooo dumb.
maszaros 9
then why don't they just put the expiration date 6 months earlier? I mean seriously, if it hasn't expired then it hasn't expired.
chippa 24
#50, #25 already explained. It's a pretty legit reason. If you go on a trip the day before your passport expires, you're never going to get back. If it's a one-way thing and you're moving to wherever you're flying or returning home, the rule doesn't apply (I don't think). But imagine something disastrous happens while you're away on vacation and you're held there for six months? Then you can't get back.
iloveboyswittats 10
It might be a dumb rule but anything written about foreign travel warns you about this. I'm pretty sure it even says this when you apply for a passport. When you plan a trip out of the country you should make sure you know things like this
kofinater 3
So what is the point of having that 6 months, couldn't they simply make it expire 6 months earlier . . .
cstrat 0
issuing governments should have the courtesy to post a renewal date as well as the expiration date.
docscientist 10
I can see 6 weeks but how many people stay 6 months on vacation? If you state you're returning in a week or so, goddamn that's an over the top rule.
k9obsessed 5
I agree. That is so assinine. If you're going for a longer time, that's one thing. But if you're only going for a few weeks, keeping you from going anywhere over that is just plain stupid. I don't care if it's a thing that's being implimented in entire countries, because there's no sensible logic to it. I say you fight it.
PandaMantis 6
54, that's not true. you go to the Consulate for your country and they get you home. This is also true for those who lose their passports on vacation. I can see not being allowed to leave the country the day before your passport expires, but if your return ticket is well before the expiration date, it seems a little crazy to not be allowed to take vacation.
PunxsatownyPhil 0
Ecuador too.
cryssycakesx3 23
what's retarded is people using related to describe things.
randombaxer1 11
I think it applies to nearly all countries.
70candycane07 0
That's stupid
icecreamdriveby 5
While it's a stupid rule, you've been planning this holiday for over a year, that's also something you should have looked in to, and planned. Id want to make sure I have absolutely everything figured out before I left my country. Although when I went backpacking in Europe last year, I forgot to pack socks.
FYLDeep 26
Why the hell does that matter? I could see if it expired 6 months ago, but what the hell?
GoodLookingGeese 10
he might escape and live in the luxuries of costa rica - they're supporting he has no reason to stay longer than it's necessary to capture all his savings..
elainelovesyou 7
Then OP's passport will expire then he realizes he wants to go home, but then he can't because his passport expired! Bingo. :D
mariazzz 5
Yeap. it's true. It's ridiculous but true your passport can't be within 6 months of expiring. Real ****** up!!
thorscope 0
why would they have it expire six mounths after you can't use it! that's dumb!
LilaBear 2
thorscope, you're missing the point. You can USE your passport right up til it expires, but you often can't LEAVE your home country within those last 6 months (or enter a new country within those last 6 months - the specific rules depend on which country issued your passport and which country you are visiting). So if you leave your home country 8 months before it expires, stay at your destination for 8 months (til just before it expires) then come home, you're fine. It's a safety precaution. These other countries don't want you rocking up in their country and overstaying with an expired passport if you decide to stay longer than you originally planned, or if you somehow get trapped there for a while. It doesn't mean the passport is useless for those last 6 months.
meg238f 0
If you can't leave your home country, then the passport is useless. That's the only thing they're used for.
bananahannahjo 0
no....they are used to get back home also...
TimeDisposalEngi 14
anal beads?
GODs_uncle 1
Is that even legal for them to not let you on the plane even though you're going just for three weeks?
xerxes190 3
it is a law- it's incase you get stranded over there- by having the six month rule you would have to be stranded for 6 months before your passport run out you should have done your research
dreamingofnyc 0
you should have checked that
ImaginaryFoe 1
I have to agree. Even if it seems ridiculous, it is the law. All the time you spent planning and you didn't look into the regulations at all? Flying is such a hassle these days that I call three different sources to verify I won't be arrested, deported, have my luggage confiscated, etc.
karlita22 0
Fyl
kaylynn732 0
OMG. I'd call someone fast. I don't know what you can do about the passport but I would see if you could move any dates, hotel reservations, ect. No fair for you to lose all that money over one mistake. If you took off work, maybe see if you can work these 3 weeks and move them. My boss is pretty flexible, yet reasonable, so it's worth the shot. Good Luck!
capilot 10
Also, in an emergency, you can renew a passport pretty quickly. My girlfriend was planning to go to Brazil in a week and found out she only had 4 months left on her passport. We quickly found that the LA passport office would let her in the next morning, so we went to LA as fast as we could, showed them her airline reservation, and got processed that very day. With a little luck and a lot of scrambling, OP can be in Costa Rica in just a few days. Rescheduling the airline flight's gonna be expensive though.