Chileans exempt from US six-month passport rule, but passport must cover stay

Travellers heading to the United States must hold a passport valid for at least six months beyond their scheduled departure date, or they can be turned away at the border. The US State Department applies this requirement to visitors from most countries, with exemptions for citizens whose passports are listed on the so-called Six-Month Club list — a list that includes Chile.

Key facts

• General rule: passport must be valid for at least six months after the planned departure from the United States.
• Citizens of countries on the Six-Month Club list are exempt.
• The latest list was published on 18 December 2025.
• Chile is on the list; travellers from exempt countries only need a passport valid for the full length of their stay.
• The list may be updated periodically, so it should be checked before travelling.

Which countries are exempt?

Citizens of countries included in the Six-Month Club do not have to show the extra six months of validity. The Latin American countries on the list are Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The list also covers countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania, including Australia, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, India and South Korea. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) publishes the official document, and the source notes that travellers should consult the current version before departure.

Who must show six months of validity?

Citizens of countries that are not on the Six-Month Club must meet the general US rule. Latin American countries not on the list include Cuba, Honduras and Ecuador. Also absent from the list are Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cambodia, Cameroon, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Laos, Moldova, Oman, North Korea, Syria and Yemen.

What replaces the six-month rule for exempt travellers?

For citizens of exempt countries, the passport must remain valid for the entire planned stay in the United States. The measure does not remove the requirement to hold a valid passport and does not change any other immigration requirements.

What other conditions must the passport meet?

Validity is not the only test. CBP sets technical requirements that vary by trip type and immigration programme, and the passport must:

• be in good condition, with no tears or damage that would prevent authenticity from being verified;
• show legible information, including name, date of birth and document number;
• carry an identifiable photo of the holder;
• include a machine-readable zone (MRZ) when applicable;
• include an electronic chip for certain temporary or emergency passports used under the Visa Waiver Program;
• show no alterations to the photo, personal data or security features;
• be individual — each traveller, including minors and infants, must have their own document when the programme requires it.

What this means for travellers

Chilean passport holders do not need to hold six extra months of validity, but their document must cover the whole planned stay and meet the technical conditions above. Travellers from countries outside the Six-Month Club should check whether their nationality appears on the list before booking, and confirm the expiry date of their passport against their intended departure date.

The source does not state a separate start date for enforcement, and it notes the Six-Month Club list may be updated periodically.