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Passport and Visa Information

The links on this page are provided as a courtesy.
AWA Travel does not accept responsibility for their accuracy.
If you discover an error, please contact us and we will try to fix it.

Helpful Links

How to Obtain a Passport - from the US Department of State
Where to apply for a Passport in the US - from the US Department of State
Order your Birth Certificate, Passport, and/or Visa online
Visas and Passport requirements - Check passport and visa requirements, length of stay, etc. Detail information on obtaining visas, passports. TDS is recognized nationally as a leading authority in international travel documents. If you need information about passports or visas this is a good information site. If you need visas or passports urgently, TDS can provide this service.

The timelines for the WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE have been modified.

January 8, 2007 - Requirement applied to all air travel to or from any foreign destination, including Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Also any sea travel originating in a foreign country and terminating in the US.
Travel via sea or land between foreign destinations has been extended to allow the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and State Department time to develop a Pass Card for those who cross the border by land. The expected implementation The deadline is January 1, 2008, but could be exptended to June 1, 2009 for land crossings at the Canadian and Mexican borders and for cruise passengers returning to the U.S. from Mexico, the Caribbean, Canada or Bermuda. The US Congress has given the DHS and Department of State the ability to implement the passport requirement before June 1, 2009, if they are able to pass a 7-step test.

Based on these requirements, AWA Travel strongly recommends that all travelers obtain a passport now and not wait for future dates. At any time a passport is the one sure way of knowing that you can cross the US border and return.

PLEASE NOTE - In spite of this change there are some countries in the Caribbean, such as Barbados, that currently require US Citizens to carry a passport. Click here to check if your destination(s) requires a passport.

IMPORTANT NEW PASSPORT REGULATIONS FOR TRAVEL TO/FROM THE USA

MACHINE-READABLE PASSPORTS

UPDATE June 15, 2005: Travelers from the 27 countries participating in the United States' Visa Waiver Program (VWP) must have a machine-readable passport to enter the United States. Please visit the following for more information. http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4542

If you are in possession of a passport issued by any of the 27 countries listed below, please contact the passport issuing authority to ensure that you are in possession of a machine-readable passport. Please note that boarding will be denied to travelers from VWP countries that do not have machine-readable passports.

The 27 countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program include: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Additional information regarding the Visa Waiver Program is available on-line at www.dhs.gov.

WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE

On Tuesday, April 5, 2005, the U.S. State Department announced details of the proposed "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative." If the proposed rules are enacted, U.S. and Canadian citizens will be required to carry a passport for travel to or from certain countries/areas that were previously exempt. The proposed implementation is as follows:

UPDATE September 29, 2005:The timelines for the WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE have been modified. Please visit the following site if you require clarification of the process. U.S. Department of State

December 31, 2006 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
December 31, 2007 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.
January 1, 2008 - All U.S. citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and citizens of Canada and Mexico to have a passport or other accepted secure document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States by January 1, 2008.

Once the proposed rules are finalized - either in their current form or a modified form - the cruise industry will communicate that information to our travel agent partners and guests. In the meantime, individuals with future travel plans that would be affected by the proposed new rules are strongly encouraged to obtain a passport now.

More info can be found at http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html

Information for Canadians regarding travel in North America http://www.ppt.gc.ca/travel_tips/trip_planning_e.asp

Passport and Visa Information

Helpful Links

Contact one of our travel specialists at 888-292-4386 (toll free US and Canada) or +1 612-377-4089