Passports

You should plan to always travel with your passport if you are exiting the United States. Since January 23rd, 2007 all persons traveling by air into the United States have been required to present a passport.

On March 27th, 2008 the departments of Homeland Security and State announced in a final rule that “full implementation” of the land and sea provisions of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative would begin June 1st, 2009.

In essence:

• To travel into the United States by air you must have a passport.

• To travel into the United States by land or sea you may have: a passport, a passport card, a state enhanced driver’s license, a trusted traveler program card (NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI), or military or merchant marine documents.

How to Get Your Passport in a Jiffy

What should you do when you plan an international trip and realize, mere weeks before departure, that your passport has expired?

Your Best (and Cheapest) Plan of Attack

Contact the U.S. State Department (travel.state.gov) to set up an appointment for an expedited passport at one of the 13 regional passport agencies. This will run you $60 in addition to application fees and overnight fees for a three-week turnaround, as opposed to the regular four- to six-week wait for a passport, says Cy Ferenchak, deputy spokesperson for the Bureau of Consular Affairs. Passport seekers can also visit the Bureau of Consular Affairs website (travel.state.gov) to get more information.

Next Best Option

Enlist the help of an expediter service (there are more than 200). Although these services are pricier than the government route, most guarantee your passport to you in as little as 24 hours. One expediter service, rushmypassport.com, for instance, offers 24-hour service for $299, plus a $135 government fee. Expediter services usually have passport forms online, and the process includes mailing the forms along with original documents, such as proof of identification. Once your passport has been processed, your documents, along with the passport, are sent back to you. But before you send in documents to an expediter service, call ahead, says Robert Smith Jr., executive director of the National Association of Passport and Visa Services. These services have application quotas, so customers may need to contact several companies before they find one that can help them.

(Taken from Real Simple.)