International Travel

Before traveling, always check the U.S. State Department website for country specific information. This important information includes the location of the U.S. embassy or consulate in your destination country, the visa requirements of your destination country, as well as any travel warnings for your final destination.

New Travel Rules

As of June 1, 2009, the full requirements of the “Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative” regarding land and sea travel in the Western Hemisphere are being implemented. All persons traveling by air, land, and sea outside of the United States are required to present a passport book/card or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security. This includes travel to Canada, Bermuda, Mexico, and the Caribbean region.

Passports

Passports are obtained through the U.S. Department of State. You can apply for a new passport, renew your old one, replace a lost, stolen or damaged passport, or add additional pages to your existing passport book through your local passport acceptance agent, usually a post office or county courthouse.



For those applying for their U.S. passport for the first time, you must apply in person at a local passport acceptance agent. This also applies if your expired U.S. passport is not in your possession, if your previous U.S. passport has expired and was issued more than 15 years ago, if your previous U.S. passport was issued when you were under 16, or if your current U.S. passport has been lost or stolen.

You can renew your passport by mail if your most recent U.S. Passport:

• Is undamaged and can be submitted with your application
• Was issued in the past 15 years
• Was issued when you were 16 or older
• Was issued in your current name or you can legally document your name change

If any of the above statements do not apply to you, you must apply in person.

You can check the most current processing times for passports, as well as the status of your passport application on the U.S. State Department website. You may also call the National Passport Information Center for information about your application at 1-877-497-2778.

If you need a passport urgently, generally within less than two weeks, please contact one of my offices in North Carolina or Washington, D.C. for assistance.