How to check when a document expires and when to renew it
- Choose the document and country. Passport, ID card, driver’s license, visa, warranty, insurance and more. Pick the issuing country where rules differ; otherwise the general rule applies.
- Type the expiry date. Copy the date printed on the document. For a passport you can also add the start date of your next trip abroad.
- Read the verdict. You get the days left, a renew-by date, the usual validity period, and a note on why the lead time is what it is — with a link to the official source.
- Save the reminders. Download the .ics file and open it on your phone. It adds a start-renewing day and the expiry itself, with alerts 30 and 7 days before.
What it does
- Validity rules for 22 document types, with country-specific figures where they differ
- A renew-by date based on how long renewal really takes, not just the printed expiry
- Passport trip check against the common six-month-on-arrival requirement
- Downloads an .ics reminder with alerts 30 and 7 days before expiry
- Every rule links to its official source
- Runs entirely in your browser — nothing typed here is sent or stored
What this checker actually does
You pick a document, the country that issued it, and type the expiry date printed on it. The tool answers three questions: is it still valid, when should you start the renewal, and — for passports — will it survive the "six months on arrival" rule most countries apply to visitors. Then it writes the dates into a calendar file you can open on any phone.
Nothing you type leaves the page. There is no upload, no account, and nothing is stored: reload and it is gone. The only asset here is the rules table, and that is printed below so you can read it without touching a form.
Why "not expired" is not the same as "usable"
Every document has two dates that matter: the one printed on it, and the last day it is actually useful. For a passport those can be nine months apart. Renewal takes weeks, and a long list of countries refuse entry unless the passport is valid for six more months after you land. A licence has the same shape on a smaller scale: many places let you renew online only inside a window before expiry, and driving on an expired one can void your insurance the same day.
The lead time the checker shows is the gap between those two dates — the point where a calm renewal becomes an expensive one. The reminder file marks that day, not just the expiry.
Passport validity by issuing country
The normal validity of an adult passport, and of a child's. Rules change, so the tool links each row to its official source.
| Country | Adult passport | Child passport |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 10 years | 5 years (under 16) |
| United Kingdom | 10 years | 5 years (under 16) |
| Canada | 5 or 10 years | 5 years (under 16) |
| Australia, New Zealand | 10 years | 5 years (under 16) |
| Ireland | 10 years | 5 years; 3 years under age 3 |
| Germany | 10 years (24 and over) | 6 years (under 24) |
| France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Czech Republic, South Korea, India | 10 years | 5 years |
| Italy | 10 years | 5 years (age 3–18); 3 years under 3 |
| Spain | 10 years (30 and over) | 5 years (under 30) |
| Belgium | 7 years | 5 years |
| Austria | 10 years | 5 years (12–18); 2 years under 12 |
| Denmark | 10 years | 5 years (2–18); 2 years under 2 |
| Sweden | 5 years | 3 years (under 12) |
| Finland | 5 years | 5 years |
| Japan | 10 or 5 years | 5 years (under 18) |
| Mexico | 1, 3, 6 or 10 years, chosen at issue | Up to 3 years |
| Brazil | 10 years | Shorter, by age |
| Ukraine | 10 years | 4 years (under 16) |
How far ahead to start, by document
| Document | Start renewing | Why that far ahead |
|---|---|---|
| Passport | 9 months before | Weeks of processing plus the six-month entry rule |
| Trusted traveler (Global Entry, PreCheck) | 12 months before | Renewal opens a year early; interviews book out |
| Visa or residence permit | 3 months before | Most systems accept renewals 60–90 days out; lapses are punished |
| National ID card | 3 months before | Appointment queues; used daily |
| Driver's license | 2 months before | Online renewal windows; vision or photo requirements |
| Lease, contract, subscription | 2 months before | Notice periods of 1–3 months or it rolls over |
| Insurance policy | 6 weeks before | Time to compare before auto-renewal |
| Vehicle registration, inspection | 1 month before | Booking slots and repair time |
| Warranty | 1 month before | Test the product while repairs are still free |
| Travel authorization (ESTA, eTA) | 1 month before | Approval is usually fast but not guaranteed |
| Credit or debit card | 1 month before | Update saved cards before subscriptions fail |
Limits worth knowing
The table gives the normal case. It cannot know about a passport that was issued for a shorter term, a state that sets its own licence rules, or a residence permit with conditions. Always check the printed date, and treat the official source linked on each rule as the final word. The tool computes in calendar days from the dates you type; it does not know your time zone or your travel plans beyond the single trip date you give it.
If you would rather not type dates at all: Paperlock reads the expiry date off a photo of the document and reminds you 30 and 7 days before, for every document in the vault — which is exactly the schedule the calendar file above uses.