Your passport please? What you need to know about upcoming travel changes.
It’s generally believed that under 23% of Americans own passports, (the world’s standard document identifying one as a citizen of their country). When I travel overseas many people are surprised Americans don’t engage in more global adventures. I explain the many travel opportunities within our country, the beauty of the west, as well as our limited vacation time. It’s completely understandable. Given how spread out our country is, a trip to New York or San Francisco has all the worldliness of Paris or Tokyo. For a New Yorker a trip to Sedona or the hills of North Carolina can be a welcome change from their environment.
Up until recently, visits to our north and south neighbors haven’t required passports. However as of December 31st 2007, a passport book is required to enter the United States from Canada or Mexico via air, and a passport card is required for crossings on land, (border checkpoints).
Other than some articles I’ve read in newspapers and travel websites, I haven’t noticed people giving it much thought. Most people I know wait until they actually start planning a trip overseas before starting the process of obtaining a passport.
So what are the costs? A passport fee is normally $110, plus a execution fee of $25, for a total of $135. For a couple flying south to enjoy a few days of fun in the sun, or a college person planning spring break, that’s a serious chunk of their vacation budget. For a family it multiplies even more.
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