Is your passport travel-ready?

If you’re planning on jetting off into the sunset over the coming school holidays, make sure your passport is in order. That’s the advice of Konrad Laker, CEO of Gold Travel, a Cape Town-based corporate travel service specialist. According to Konrad, many travellers are not aware of passport requirements that could turn a dream overseas holiday into a nightmare.  

In order to avoid complications at international destinations, refusal of entry into a country or, in some cases, deportation, it is essential that: 

• Passports must be valid for six months after your return date
• At least four blank pages must be available for passport control and customs
• Your passport name must correlate with your travel documents – in some cases a married woman’s name change from maiden to married surname can cause complications
• Passports of minors must be updated and recognizable with a recent photograph 

Konrad notes that certain countries such as The USA, United Kingdom and The Middle East are more stringent than others and travellers should make certain that all of their travel documents comply. “With many immigration offices on high alert following terror attacks across Europe, better to be safe than sorry,” advises Konrad.