As of 2010, all international travel from the United States requires passport documentation. You must obtain and produce a passport in order to fly overseas, dock in foreign ports or drive over national borders. To obtain a passport, you will need to find your local passport facility and provide all necessary documentation. There is a waiting process for passport authentication, so don't wait until the day before you leave for the airport.
Over the years, there has been some confusion about passport requirements for traveling to Canada and Mexico. In the past, only a photo ID and the answers to a few questions were required for passage across our neighbors' borders. At one point, air travel to Mexico required a passport, but land and sea passage did not. However, the process has been streamlined and now requires a passport for all form of travel into both Mexico and Canada.
United States territories, as of 2010, do not require a passport for passage, though a government issued photo ID is required.These area include places like Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Because these territories are treated like states, passport documentation isn't required. These rules may change, so before planning a trip or cruise in these areas, consult the Bureau of Consular Affairs for developing rules and regulations.
The United States has streamlined the passport process to make land and sea crossings into neighboring countries more accessible. Called passport cards, these forms of ID are more like a driver's license. If you plan to travel by car or boat to Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean or Mexico, consider obtaining a passport card to make travel more efficient.
Some countries require any non-citizen entering their borders to obtain particular visas. A visa is an official document that allows a traveler to enter a country for a specific time period or purpose. These are separate from passports and must be approved before you can enter the country. Australia, for instance, requires all non-citizens to obtain a visa before traveling to their country. Your commercial travel provider will usually have the information on visas required before your journey begins.
