Getting a Passport for Traveling Abroad

Series Summary

Going on your honeymoon? Taking a business trip to Asia? Vacationing in Europe? Traveling to a foreign country can be an exciting way to spend some time learning about another part of the world. With different food, culture, language, and history, a foreign land can help you understand your own world a little better and refresh your perspectives about the similarities and differences people everywhere have living their everyday lives.

There are a few things you need to know if you are going to venture outside the borders of your country. Getting a passport is just one of the steps to take before traveling in the international community. Considerations for money, health, safety, and convenience can and should be planned out in advance. Going prepared will make for a smooth and enjoyable trip.

In addition to practical considerations, doing research about the place you are going will help you understand the people and the culture there. If you learn some of the language they speak in the country you are going to, it will help you navigate a little easier, and will make the locals more willing to assist you should you need help.

In this free video guide to international travel, get tips and advice for planning an exciting trip to an exotic land. Our travel agent will give you some basic guidelines to follow when preparing to go abroad, including hints on how to obtain your passport and visa, safety procedures, encountering a new language and culture, traveling comfortably, dealing with jet lag, and drinking the water. Bon voyage.

Video Transcript

" Hi! I’m Stephanie Phillips for expertvillage.com and we’re going to talk about passport requirements. Did you realize that as of December 2006 that will be the last time that you’ll be able to go on a plane to go to Canada or Mexico unless you have a passport you need to get your passport today? If you’re taking a cruise between January 2007 and December 2007 you will still be able to get on a cruise ship with just your original birth certificate and a photo ID but as of 2007 January if you are driving to Canada, if you are driving to Mexico, if you are flying you will need a U.S. passport and this is what it looks like. Now the passport is real easy to get, when you get it you need your picture taken as you can see right here, your picture is easy to get go to any basic local drug store, it cost about $8 they’ll take your picture you’re going to need two copies but they automatically give that to you and the next step is to go to the website for your passport it’s travel.state.gov/passports. This way you can get your application downloaded, you can either mail your passport, you can take it to a local passport facility or you would be able to go to a local passport office. Now’s the time to get it your passports are going to be good for 10 years unless you’re 14 years old or younger than it’s only good for 5 years, I can’t emphasize it enough get a passport today."