Before visiting another country, check the expiration date on your passport. Some countries, such as Brazil, Ecuador and Malaysia, require that your passport be valid for up to six months after your travel is complete. In order to determine different countries' rules regarding passport expiration dates, it is important to contact the embassy of the country you will be visiting. Failure to comply with a country's regulations on passport expiration dates can deny you access to that particular country.
If you have recently changed your name due to marriage, divorce or other personal circumstances, it is essential to change the name on your passport to your new legal name. The United States Passport Service Guide reports that it takes anywhere from four to six weeks for your name change to be processed.
Travelers who book tickets using their new name and carry a passport that carries their old name will most likely be denied access to the aircraft and their country of destination.
In order to change a name on your passport, you must provide your original birth certificate, marriage certificate, two recent photographs and the proper application form to the United States National Passport Processing Center.
Although a passport is required to prove your nationality and identity when visiting another country, a visa allows you to enter the country. It is your responsibility as the traveler to ensure that you have applied for a visa before departure. In order to determine whether the country you are visiting requires a visa, check Project Visa's website.
Remember that visas usually take anywhere between four and six weeks to process. You may be required to send in your passport with your visa application form. A visa fee may also be required. You must get a visa for each country you are planning to visit before you depart on your trip.
