A passport is a government-issued document that requests safe passage for the holder through any country in which it is presented. This does not guarantee safe passage; it merely requests it. It is considered an official document of identification and as such cannot lawfully be changed or damaged in any way and must be surrendered upon request.
A visa is usually a stamp placed in a passport by a country's embassy here in the U.S. that acknowledges the fact that a person has applied for entrance to that country, has supplied all necessary documents to the embassy and is approved to enter the country for personal or business reasons. Most visas have a time limit and expiration date and must be applied for separately for each country.
Passports come in two basic types: new, and renewed. There are some basic questions you can ask yourself to determine which one you will need.
You will need a new passport if you are applying for your first passport; you have an expired passport but have misplaced or lost it; your expired passport was issued more than 15 years ago; your name has changed due to marriage or divorce or your last passport was issued when you were 16 years of age or younger.
You can apply for a passport renewal if you have an undamaged passport that is about to expire and you are able to send it in with the application, your passport was issued more than 15 years ago or if you were under 16 at the time your passport was issued.
No matter which you qualify for, the passport applications must be completed and sent to the U.S. embassy nearest you for processing. Forms are available at most public offices, post offices and other government buildings, or wherever passports are accepted for processing. There are also a number of companies that can handle the expediting of your passport processing.
Visa qualifications and requirements vary with each country. To find out if the country you are visiting requires a visa for entry, you should contact a travel agent or look online for a visa processing service. The service will not only give you the requirements you need to complete, but if utilized, it will in most cases physically walk your current passport to that country's embassy and track the approval. Some country's require an appointment to review the documentation presented and a service will also arrange for this time.
Visas are available for a range of time and purposes of visits. If, for instance, you are traveling on business to China, you will need to apply for a business visa for the length of time you plan on being in that country. There is also the opportunity to apply for a visa that will allow multiple entries into the country during a specific number of months or years. Please note that this does not mean you will be automatically granted the opportunity to enter the country. That will be up to the embassy.
New passport requirements differ slightly from renewals. With a renewal you are providing the expired passport along with the completed paperwork and new photos, whereas a new passport will require additional verification or proof of your citizenship. To apply for a new passport you must complete all of the requirements and documentations. This will include an official U.S. passport application form; two passport photos taken according to the directions provided on the application; an original birth certificate, valid driver's license, certified copy of marriage certificate or other proof of identity and a certified check for the governmental fees. All of these documents will need to be authorized by an approved agent in person. The agent will then forward a notarized and sealed copy of the documents to the government and a passport will be issued in six to 10 weeks. If you are traveling sooner, you will also need to provide a copy of your itinerary showing the date and location of your travel.
Requirements for a visa vary between countries; however, most will require at least one additional passport photo (signed); the appropriate documents listing your name, passport number, and personal information; anywhere from two to six completely clean pages in the passport; a copy of your itinerary and, in case of business travelers, a letter from the issuing country inviting the traveler to attend a meeting and a letter from the traveler's business guaranteeing her good conduct. All of this information along with the passport is then given to the issuing country's embassy for approval. Return of the passport with a visa inside can take anywhere from two to four weeks or longer.
No matter what you will need or where you travel, you will need some sort of identification. Having a passport certifies that you are a citizen of a particular country, but does not guarantee you any rights in the country you are visiting. It is always recommended that you check in with the U.S. embassy in any country that you are visiting. If they are aware you are in the country, they can alert you to any problems that may occur.
It is also recommended that a passport and visa processing service be used when applying for either a passport or visa. With regulations constantly being upgraded and changed, they will be the first to know if your documentation is correct and in order.
