Do I need a visa to go to there?

Determine if you need a visa to travel to another country before you plan your trip.  For Americans, the majority of countries don’t require a visa.  But, there are some that do like Brazil, India or Russia.  To obtain a visa for these 3 countries requires processing time which may be lengthy.  There are other countries that require a visa but you can get that online or at the entry/arrival section.  Turkey is one such example.  When you disembark in Istanbul, you get and pay for your tourist visa before you go through customs.

Americans do not need a visa (or a passport) to travel to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam or American Samoa.  You will need a valid form of photo identification.  To be safe, if you have a passport, travel with it.  Consider getting a US passport as that can also be your form of identification.  Refer to my blog post, How to get a US passport, renewal or child passport.

Travel Resources & Links:

Refer to the travel.state.gov site for which countries require a visa and what type of visa.  This US Department of State link is helpful.

As well, if you are an international resident, this Visa HQ link provides information on visa requirements by country of citizenship and residence.  I have not used this site before so double check with your country’s embassy prior to travel.

One important thing to note: you must have a valid passport to travel.  This means that your passport expiration date must be valid 6 months prior to the last day of your trip.  If you travel to another country and you don’t have 6 months validity prior to the end of your trip, you may not be able to get through customs.  In some cases, you may even be stopped at the airport here in the US prior to boarding your international flight.