Can I go on a cruise from the UK to Scandinavia and St. Petersburg with a passport expiring in 4 months?

Question

I have a passport expiring in September 2020. I will be traveling to the UK for a cruise to Scandinavia and St Petersburg in May. The cruise starts and ends in the UK.

Do I need to renew my passport before I go or am I safe?

Answer 1

Assuming you're not an EU/EFTA citizen or resident:

• For Scandinavia, the passport needs to be valid for 3 months beyond the period of intended stay (in the Schengen Area)

• For Russia, the passport just needs to be valid during the stay.

So no, contrary to the other answer, no need to renew your passport.

Answer 2

This depends on the type of cruise. In particular for the port of St. Petersburg, passengers of cruise ships are not required to have an entry visa into Russia for up to 72 hours, but only in case they have officially booked tours with licensed tour providers. Therefore, the validity of passport is not important.

information on visa-free entry in Russia

Not sure about passport requirements for Scandinavian countries.

Answer 3

Most countries in Europe (Schengen specifically) require that your passport be valid for at least 6 months before entry.

However, this is NOT the case with the UK. They just require that your passport be valid for the entire duration of your stay.

However, when entering Scandinavia, you’ll need at least 6 months validity, so yes you will need to renew it.