Passport Information
If there is some exotic locale in your travel plans for the immediate future, you’ll need to pack more than your toothbrush, suntan lotion and a favorite novel in your carry-on bag. You’ll need a United States passport, the all-critical key to successful travel beyond U.S. borders. New government travel rules that went into effect in 2007 require that all U.S. citizens have a valid passport when traveling by air to and from Bermuda, the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada. This legislative change resulted in unprecedented demand for passports over the summer. In June of 2007, the U.S. State Department reported that there were nearly three million applications pending for passports, pushing the turnaround time from the standard four to six weeks to twelve weeks or longer.Don’t let your travel plans get sidelined before they ever get off the ground. To ensure your trip is smooth and delay-free, keep these five passport guidelines in mind:
1. Be mindful of the expiration date.
If you’ve had a passport for a while, take a moment to check the expiration date; you won’t be able to travel if the date has already passed. If it expires after you leave, you may have problems being allowed back into the country. Also, bear in mind that certain countries require that passports be valid for three to six months after your arrival. The exact amount of time varies, so contact the U.S. State Department or your travel agent for the entry requirements for your destination.
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