Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting Your Passport in Order
Allow plenty of time before your trip to apply for a passport; processing
normally takes 3 weeks but can take longer during busy periods (especially
spring). And keep in mind that if you need a passport in a hurry, you'll pay
a higher processing fee.
For Residents of Australia:
You can pick up an application from your local
post office or any branch of Passports Australia, but you must schedule an
interview at the passport office to present your application materials. Call
the
Australian Passport Information Service
at
&
131-232,
or visit the gov-
ernment website at www.passports.gov.au.
For Residents of Canada:
Passport applications are available at travel
agencies throughout Canada or from the central
Passport Office,
Depart-
ment of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G3 (
&
800/
567-6868;
www.ppt.gc.ca).
For Residents of Ireland:
You can apply for a 10-year passport at the
Pass-
port Office,
Setanta Centre, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2 (
&
01/671-1633;
www.irlgov.ie/iveagh). Those under age 18 and over 65 must apply for a 3-
year passport. You can also apply at 1A South Mall, Cork (
&
021/272-525
)
or at most main post offices.
For Residents of New Zealand:
You can pick up a passport application at
any New Zealand Passports Office or download it from their website. Con-
tact the
Passports Office
at
&
0800/225-050
in New Zealand or 04/474-8100,
or log on to www.passports.govt.nz.
For Residents of the United Kingdom:
To pick up an application for a
standard 10-year passport (5-year passport for children under 16), visit your
nearest passport office, major post office, or travel agency or contact the
United Kingdom Passport Service
at
&
0870/521-0410
or search its website
at www.ukpa.gov.uk.
For Residents of the United States:
Whether you're applying in person or
by mail, you can download passport applications from the U.S. State Depart-
ment website at
http://travel.state.gov
. To find your regional passport office,
either check the U.S. State Department website or call the
National Passport
Information Center
toll-free number (
&
877/487-2778
) for automated
information.
trip, bring along a bill of sale, insurance
policy, jeweler's appraisal, or receipts of
purchase. Or you can register items that
can be readily identified by a perma-
nently affixed serial number or mark-
ing—think laptop computers, cameras,
and CD players—with Customs before
you leave. Take the items to the nearest
Customs office or register them with
Customs at the airport from which you're
departing. You'll receive, at no cost, a
Certificate of Registration, which allows
duty-free entry for the life of the item.
With some exceptions, you cannot
bring fresh fruits and vegetables into the
United States. For specifics on what you
can bring back and the corresponding
fees, download the invaluable free pam-
phlet
Know Before You Go!
online at
www.cbp.gov
. (Click on “Travel,” and
