I have valid Indian visa, but my US passport expires in 3 months. Can I still travel?

I would also check how much time is left on your passport on the date you plan to arrive in India, rather than only looking at the current expiry date.

There is sometimes confusion between the six-month validity requirement at the time of applying for a visa and the passport validity required when actually entering a country.

The Indian government travel guidance mentions six months of passport validity and two blank pages. The exact instructions can also depend on the type of visa issued.

Since you already have a regular visa stamped in your passport, I would contact the Indian consulate that issued it and ask whether you can travel with three months remaining.

If you decide to renew your passport, keep your old passport because it contains your Indian visa. Do not remove or damage the visa page.

Also, check your return journey requirements. Your passport must remain acceptable for the journey back to the United States as well.

I went through something similar when my US passport was nearing expiry. My Indian tourist visa was still valid, but I was unsure whether I could travel with the remaining passport validity.

One thing I learned is that the visa and passport are two separate travel documents. A valid visa does not extend the validity of your passport.

If you renew your US passport before travelling, you should not automatically assume that your Indian visa becomes invalid. The Indian Consulate General in Los Angeles has published guidance explaining that a valid Indian visa in an old passport can be used with a new passport, provided you carry both passports.

I would keep the old passport containing the original visa and the newly issued passport together when travelling.

However, confirm that this arrangement applies to your particular visa and that the visa itself remains valid.

In your situation, I would first check the six-month passport validity requirement and then decide whether to renew before booking any further travel arrangements.

I would be careful about travelling with only three months of passport validity remaining. I remember checking this requirement before my own trip to India because my US passport was also approaching its expiry date.

The general travel guidance published by the Government of India's Incredible India website mentions a minimum of six months of passport validity and two blank pages for immigration stamps.

Having a valid Indian visa does not automatically mean that the passport validity requirement is waived.

I would suggest contacting the Indian mission or consulate that issued your visa and confirming the requirement for your particular visa category. Also, check with your airline before travelling because airlines may verify passport validity before allowing passengers to board.

If you have enough time, renewing your US passport before the trip would be worth considering. You should also ask the consulate how to use your existing Indian visa if it remains in your old passport after renewal.

I would not risk reaching the airport without confirming this first.

There are two separate things here: the validity of the Indian visa and the validity of the passport you're travelling on.

Having a valid Indian visa doesn't necessarily overcome the passport-validity requirement. For e-Visa travel, the official guidance specifically says the passport should have at least six months' validity from the date of arrival.

If you renew the US passport, don't assume the old Indian visa simply disappears. The procedure can depend on whether you have an e-Visa or a visa sticker in the old passport.

For e-Visa holders, the Indian Consulate says that if travelling with a new passport, the traveller should also carry the old passport on which the e-Visa was granted.

I'd verify your exact situation with the official Indian e-Visa portal or the relevant Indian Mission before travelling.

I had almost the same issue, although my passport had around five months remaining.

I ended up renewing the passport before travelling because I didn't want to find out at the airport that the airline had a problem with the validity.

One thing I found useful was checking the Indian Consulate's information rather than relying on travel forums. The Consulate currently says passports should have at least six months' validity for an Indian visa.

If your visa is in an expired passport, that's a slightly different situation. The Consulate says someone with a valid Indian visa in an expired passport can travel with the old passport containing the visa and the new valid passport, although transferring the visa to the new US passport is advised for convenience.

I'd therefore check whether your particular visa is electronic or a physical visa before renewing.