The Passport Oversight That Could End Your Trip Before It Starts

As the US Department of State plainly states: “some countries require that your passport has two to four blank visa or stamp pages.” And if not? Airlines may not allow you to even board. And it’s not as easy as gluing a couple more pages into your passport book. If you run out, the only solution is to get a new passport — preferably one of the large books that have extra visa pages for no extra cost. Anyone who has gone through that process knows that you won’t be able to get it anywhere near fast enough to jump on a plane the same day.

The threat of this happening primarily applies to the same frequent travelers who country count. But anyone who is taking a multi-country, long-haul jaunt should do a double check that they have enough pages for each stop. That’s especially the case for anyone going over land borders or where certain visas are needed. If not, your passport is effectively invalid, even if there are still years to go before it officially expires.

Where blank page rules matter most

Blank-page policies vary widely by country, but several destinations spell them out in black and white. As of early 2026, examples include:

• Namibia: US travelers must have six months’ validity and at least three completely blank pages to enter.
• South Africa: For visitor visas, the South African Embassy says a passport must contain at least two unused pages labeled “Visa” for the visa sticker and entry stamp.
• Laos: The US Embassy in Laos instructs Americans to arrive with six months’ validity and at least two completely blank visa pages.
• China and India: Both countries expect six months’ validity and two blank pages for visas and entry/exit stamps.
• Egypt, Indonesia, Bolivia, Jamaica, Kenya, and Mauritius: These destinations all pair a validity rule (often six months) with a requirement of one or more blank pages for stamps or visas.

Some countries focus only on validity for short tourist stays and do not publish a fixed blank-page count. France, for example, specifies that your passport must be valid at least three months beyond departure from the Schengen area but does not state a page minimum, though in practice you still need space for an entry stamp.

While these are general guidelines, know that the rules can change at any point. The only surefire way to make sure you’re not turned around at the gate is to check that you have plenty of pages left long ahead of your trip and to double check the official embassy or consular pages.

Why the airlines are turning you away before immigration

All of these problems could hit before you even reach the border checkpoint if you’re arriving by air. Airlines screen passports because they are liable for flying in the passengers — that’s why your passport is checked both when you get your ticket and right before you board.

Some airlines, like Qantas, spell out that they’re checking the blank pages in passports explicitly. Others assume that it’s common knowledge. That said, if you’re denied boarding because of the number of pages, airlines aren’t obliged to refund your ticket and there are very few travel insurance options that will refund some or all of your costs.

At the end of the day, it’s a small number of frequent travelers who may encounter this issue. But you don’t want to be in that situation after months of planning for your next country hopping tour, so make sure you know how many pages are left in your passport and always, always opt for the increased number of pages when you renew.