Planning a trip can be so exciting, right? For those of you who love lists and details, then trip planning can be almost as satisfying as arriving at your destination. But for anyone who struggles with the details, it can be a total nightmare trying to figure out everything that needs to be done beforehand. This is where I’d like to help!

The most important thing that you need if you’re planning a trip to another country is your passport and visa.

This is so important not to overlook. In my opinion, it’s much better to have these documents sorted well before your travel dates. If your passport has been renewed within the last 10 years, then you should be fine, granted a few important details have not changed.

Here are some common reasons you may need to update your passport:

• Your passport will expire soon (Many countries prefer your passport will still be valid up to 6 months after you exit their country).
• You have a name change (My passport was not expired but my last name changed after marrying Caleb, so I needed a new passport).
• You still have a couple of years left until your passport expires but your features have drastically changed — something more drastic than just shaving facial hair or getting a nose ring. (We wish Caleb would have done this looking back. He always had to go through an extra round with the immigration agents because he physically changed so much since the passport photo was taken 8 years prior.)

Tips for the passport application & renewal process:

1. If you’re applying by US mail, send it Priority so you can obtain a tracking number for your packet.
2. Make sure that you have included all the necessary documents required for your application or renewal. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it never hurts to double-check. Mistakes take loads of extra time to correct. This government website lays out everything you’re going to need and any associated costs.
3. Choose to expedite your application. It only costs a little bit more and the security of know your passport will definitely be sorted in time for your trip is worth it, in my opinion.
4. If at all possible, locate your nearest passport agency and apply in person.

Personal experience related to point #4: After nearly 3 months of not having my passport back or any explanation as to why it was taking so long, we ended up driving to Chicago to sort it out in person. The agents at the office there were so helpful and friendly. After apologizing, they were able to cancel my initial renewal application and start a new one for me right there. I walked out with my new passport in hand that day. So much easier! I’m not saying this will certainly happen to you, but I wanted to share what I experienced.

Why it’s important to have your passport early

The biggest reason you don’t want your passport to hold you up is that you need to note its number when applying for a visa to the country you’re visiting.

When you renew your passport for any reason, you will get a new passport number; your old number doesn’t follow you.

Processing time for your visa will vary depending on the country you’re traveling to and the reason for your visit.

Personal experience: Before moving to Australia, Caleb had the opportunity to arrive several months before school would start in order to be on a project research team, so we initially applied for a research visa. This particular visa was still not approved even after two and a half months. Time was running out for his opportunity and we needed to go forward with his standard student visa by this time. We had to cancel the research visa application so we could apply for the student visa. The student visa was processed in just 3 days.

While it was frustrating for us in the moment, I will point out that the Australian immigration agents were always very helpful and would answer any questions knowledgeably. It’s just that different visas take different amounts of time to process, and without one, you may not be able to enter the country.

Visitor and holiday visas

All that said, most standard visitor or holiday visas are really easy to apply for and can be approved in little or no time. When you buy your plane tickets to a different country, the airline will generally prompt you to add your passport and visa to your account so that you will be able to progress through security and immigration.

Passport and visa processes have been long and arduous for me in the past, but it doesn’t have to be that way for you! I hope you can learn from my experiences and that you find my tips helpful.

The goal is to have a stress-free planning process so you can fully enjoy all aspects of your trip!

What’s your experience with visas and passports? Do you have any tips to share? Comment for community benefit below 🙂