Most countries will want to see your passport, but in addition to this there are sometimes other things you need to know which aren’t so obvious. For example, some countries require that your passport is valid for at least six months after you plan to leave that particular country and if it isn’t you won’t be let in. So it pays to get your passport renewed if it is quite close to expiring.
Some countries, such as South Africa, have other requirements. Your passport needs to be valid for at least 30 days after your intended date of departure, but also it must have at least two blank pages for an entry stamp.
If you also require a visa to enter South Africa (EU and USA citizens currently don’t), then you must also have a passport with two blank facing pages, one for the visa and one for the entry stamp. Anyone attempting to enter the country without the two blank pages will be sent home (at their own expense).
So, as you can see, it pays to check these things well in advance. A good place to find current entry requirements for most countries in the world is using the World Country Guides on the World Travel Guide website (scroll down when you get there and click on the country you want to go to on the map).
