Don't Forget Passports When Studying Abroad

When preparing to study abroad, there are many things you must do to prepare. One of the least exciting, but perhaps most essential, is travel documents. 

Do you have a passport? If not, apply for one as soon as possible. You will need one in order to travel outside of the United States, including Canada and Mexico (due to a recent law change). They can take 6 - 8 weeks to process and arrive. Of course, you can get one faster through an expediting process, but that will cost you significantly more money, not to mention the stress of waiting for your passport to arrive! 

If  you already have a passport, make sure that your passport will be valid for at least 6 months after the date of your return to the United States. This is now required by many foreign countries in order to enter the country. Also, make sure there are enough blank pages to accommodate stamps for your trip. For new passports, renewals, and expediting, we highly recommend PassportVisasExpress.com for their excellent service.

Birth Certificates are the first step to acquiring a passport. Do you know where yours is? Make sure you still have it, but if you don't, no worries. You can acquire one from the website, GovDocuments.com. 

Also, take a few minutes to read this article about travel visas, even if you think you are traveling to a country where you don't need a visa. 

Now that you have your documents in order, you can relax and focus on the rest of the preparation for your study abroad trip!