When traveling to an international destination, many countries require a U.S. passport to be valid for at least six months from date of entry or date of exit.
Since early 2016, the U.S. Department of State no longer adds visa pages into U.S. passports. Previously, U.S. passport holders had the option to pay for an additional 24-page visa inserts when valid passports lacked adequate space for entry or exit visa stamps. Applicants in need of additional pages in their valid passports must obtain a new passport.
To mitigate the impact on frequent travelers, the Department began issuing 52-page passports to all applicants outside the United States starting October 1, 2014 for no additional cost. Applicants within the United States may choose a 28-page or 52-page book.
For more information on applying for a passport (new passport or renewal), please refer to the Department of State website for instructions, required documents and forms.