Travel Advisories & Information
Passports: Information on US Passports can be found at the US Department of State (DOS) website at http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html. To check the status of a recently submitted passport, click http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html.
Please refer to Note on Passports at the end of this section for the latest developments in passport requirements.
Warnings and advice covering travel and health issues in countries can be found at the Department of State (DOS) homesite at http://travel.state.gov.
-- Travel Warnings are issued when the State Department recommends that Americans avoid a certain country. The countries currently listed can be found at http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html -- The State Department issues Public Announcements at http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1766.html to disseminate information quickly about terrorist threats and other relatively short-term conditions that pose significant risks or disruptions to Americans.
A branch of DOS, the Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) exists to serve Americans traveling or residing abroad. ACS supports the work of our overseas embassies and consulates in providing emergency services to Americans in cases of arrest, death, crime victimization, repatriation, medical evacuation, temporary financial assistance and welfare-and-whereabouts cases. The ACS also assists in non-emergency matters of birth, identity, passport, citizenship, registration, judicial assistance, and estates. ACS can facilitate the transfer of funds overseas to assist US citizens in need, repatriate the remains of loved ones who have died overseas, assist with medical bills, assist victims of crime, and help U.S. citizens who are detained in foreign prisons. ACS also administers a repatriation loan program to bring home destitute Americans and operates a 24-hour Duty Officer Program and Crisis Response Teams who work on task forces convened to deal with natural or man-made disasters. Website: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/travel_1744.html
-- Information on countries can be found in the Consular section of the DOS website at
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html. The website also provides information on Avian Flu per country and any other endangerment issues such as child abduction.
NOTE: With trouble flashpoints erupting around the world, Americans are urged to record their out-of-country trip itineraries/residences along with passport details and email addresses with the State Department to receive assistance in case of emergency. Visit the Travel Registration Service/DOS at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui.
For more information on security measures implemented at airports and other travel venues, visit the US Transportation Security website at http://www.tsa.gov/311/index.shtm or the US Dept. of Homeland Security website at http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec.
NOTE: Citizens from Canada, Mexico and Bermuda Citizens from Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda are required to present a passport or other WHTI-compliant documentation to enter the United States when arriving by air from any part of the Western Hemisphere. Visitors Traveling under the Visa Waiver Program International travelers entering the United States under the Visa Waiver Program now need to present an e-Passport if their passport was issued on or after October 26, 2006.
NOTE ON PASSPORTS
DOS has restored passport service to the standard six to eight week processing time for routine passport applications, and no more than three weeks for expedited service. (Note: At the moment, passport renewals are expedited in less than three weeks using the standard processing but that could change.)
If you would like to request the status of your application by email, please go to the National Passport Information Center - Passport Status Inquiry website http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html.
A new website, www.GetAPassportNow.com was established by the American travel industry to inform travelers about new passport requirements and to help them get passports.
NOTE: As of October 1, 2007, US Citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must present a passport or other WHTI-compliant documentation to enter or depart from the United States. It is always strongly recommended that U.S. Citizens verify the specific documentary requirements for their destination country. As of June 1, 2009, all travelers will be required to present a passport, passport card or other approved secure document denoting citizenship and identity for all land and sea travel into the United States. This includes all US, Canadian and Bermuda citizens. Special provisions will be made for organized groups of children under 18 to enter with only proof of citizenship. For more information about WHTI approved travel documentation, please visit www.dhs.gov. For information on obtaining a U.S. passport please go to www.travel.state.gov.
*NOTE: With regard to Cruise Travel, the Department of Homeland Security has issued new requirements with regard to embarkation of a cruise vessel, requiring cruise lines to provide a passenger manifest 96 hours before entering into any US port. To avoid delays, cruise lines are offering passengers the opportunity to provide their personal information well in advance of embarkation. It is best to check with the cruise line of choice about embarkation requirements when finalizing your cruise trip.
Travel Health Warnings can be obtained from the US Government Printing Office Health Information for International Travel by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which gives a global rundown of disease and immunization advice and other health guidance, including risks in particular countries. The CDC maintains the international travelers’ hotline at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747), an automated faxback service at 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299) and a website at http://www.cdc.gov. More travel advice is at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx.
For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad as well as medical inoculations, as well as other travel-health information, consult the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website at http://www.who.int/en.
--July 2008