Maybe it’s “something in the water” but traveling abroad is currently on everyone’s mind. But, before you book that hotel or request that PTO I highly recommend squaring away these things AKA: The Big 3.
FIRST: Passport.
Probably a no-brainer… but to be honest you’ll be surprised at how many people had no idea you actually need to have one of these. I blame cruise ships for this. Many cruise lines leaving the US ports will allow you to travel with just proof of a valid US birth certificate (or a valid passport).
Passports are a bit of an eyeroll to get - mainly on the approval/processing end.
When it comes to the paperwork you MUST make sure you fill everything out correctly based on what the website states. Adult passports last 10 years and children 5 years. Renewal needs to be completed before 6 months of the expiration date indicated on your passport book. If you do let it expire (from what I’ve been told) it’s a long process to reestablish.
You can print and fill out all the paperwork at home, take photos at a location that has a passport backdrop, take papers + photos to USPS or a government building that has a passport office, pay and wait. Your passport will arrive to your home address.
*YES, you can complete ALL of this at a USPS or government building that has a photo station. Research beforehand to see if your location will provide that. ALSO make appointments. Some locations will not see you if there isn’t an appointment on file. Link to find locations to do passport approval and fill out forms in person.
** Passport photo tip is to have on a plain color top (I wore black). The passport backdrop is white so do NOT wear white! Also keep yourself looking natural. No heavy makeup. I had my photos taken at a Walgreens. It was a $10 charge and photos were instant.
The passport approval and processing end is the longest window you’ll have to wait. Online you can see the processing estimation time frame and there is an option to expedite your paperwork. You will be asked this on your passport appointment when you pay and drop off the documents. Choose wisely. When I completed my passport in Spring 2023 the window was 6-8 weeks; I did NOT pay to expedite and arrived exactly in 6 weeks. I also had all my paperwork filled out correctly the first time. My passport appointment was at USPS and it took about 45 minutes.
If you have any other questions about passports I first recommend reading the website where you can access all the required documents. On the official website there is a huge FAQ page that I relied on. You can also reach out to me if you have questions too! I will have linked here the website to passport documents and linked here is the FAQ page for passports.SECOND: International Driver Permit.
This is a really weird one but if you plan to travel somewhere abroad and you want to rent a car - you MUST have an international drivers permit. YES, those “Tokyo race car driving around Shibuya” reels you see… You MUST have a valid international driver permit to do those. Some countries require you to have this permit on hand for renting motorbikes and scooters. International drivers permits are valid for one year and are quite easy to get. I have linked here the website AAA international driver permit !
THIRD: ENTRY VISA.
Some countries require you to have an entry visa. Some require a visitor visa. And some require nothing but proof of where you’ll be staying (hotel, Airbnb, family house, etc) and how long you’ll be staying via word of mouth. You can NOT get this visa at the Custom and Boarder office the day of. It must be approved and paid for BEFORE your trip. Please research beforehand of what your destination will require of you to have proof of. To find this out - simply google “What is required to visit ___”.
An example: My most recent UK trip I needed to have UK ETA. It’s an app I downloaded, I put in my passport info, the dates I’m visiting the UK, and paid. Then it gave a QR code to show at the Customs and Boarder desk for them to scan.
Another example: currently for Japan you do not need an entry visa. BUT you do have to fill out the Immigration and Customs Declaration form. Either you can do this by hand on the plane (flight attendants will have the forms available) or you can fill this out in advance via the Visit Japan Web. I personally, ALWAYS fill out the Visit Japan Web one month before my trip on my cellphone. This is free and it creates a QR code to show at the gate as I enter the country. It speeds up entry and is hassle free. I highly recommend!
Of course when traveling there’s other things like phone data, your luggage size, hotel bookings, what medications are legal etc. But The Big 3 mentioned above is what I believe you must have sorted and in place before you can request PTO from work.
Thanks again for reading and please follow along on my Instagram!. On my Instagram page you’ll see tips and tricks for traveling, recommendations for places I’ve been and my love of fashion plus so so much more!
一期一会 , Britt
