HONEYMOON PLANNING: PASSPORTS

To visit any country outside the United States and its territories (such as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), there's one ‘must-have’ you'll always need: a passport.

Plan ahead & a passport is a cinch to get: it's valid for 10 years, and is the ultimate proof of citizenship.

Passports normally take about five weeks to process. However, due to a sharp increase in the number of passport applications, it can take up to three months to get your passport by mail. During the busy travel months, May through August, allow even more time.

If you’re taking your husband’s name, plan accordingly. You have to book your airline tickets & secure your passport before your honeymoon, and the name on both must match, so book your ticket & apply for your passport under your maiden name. When you've returned from your honeymoon & received your marriage certificate, you can file a Passport-Amendment Application with the nearest passport agency.

Passport forms can be downloaded from your computer or picked up at major post offices, county clerk offices, or passport agencies. You should be able to get the required 2” x 2" passport photo shot at a one-hour photo shop, or your local drugstore.

If you already have a passport, note that some countries require that it be valid for at least six months or longer beyond the dates of your trip.

For each country's entry requirements, visa instructions, and contact information, visit the U.S. State Department web site.

New Passport law effective January 23, 2007!

As of January 23, 2007, all persons -- including U.S. citizens --

traveling by air from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda are required to have a passport in order to enter the United States.

A second phase of requirements will apply to land and sea travelers, beginning as early as January 2008.