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Can I travel with a soon-expiring or damaged passport?

Short answer

For Korea, Korean mission guidance requires a passport valid throughout the stay rather than a universal six-month balance. A wet or damaged passport is a separate acceptance risk and should be assessed by its issuing authority before travel.

What to do
  1. Check that expiry is after your planned departure and check each transit country’s rules.
  2. Ask the airline to check the complete route, especially with only one month remaining.
  3. If water damage affects the identity page, chip or stamps, seek the issuing authority’s assessment and replacement instructions.
Check before relying on this
  • Do not treat readable text or a working chip as a guarantee a damaged passport will be accepted.
  • If replacing a passport, check whether a visa transfer or new K-ETA is needed.
More details and examples Expand

More detail

Five months of validity is not automatically a Korean refusal under the reviewed guidance. One month gives little room for disruption, so changing the departure date may change the answer.

Sources and provider examples

External sources may use another language.

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