Holiday is approaching and you must have already prepare your holiday destination with your loved ones. Some of the places you want to visit may require you to bring your passport while some other may require more. Some countries that have no diplomatic relationship with your country will require you to obtain a visa before you come visiting the place of destination. Here are some important points you may want to recheck before you go on a holiday:

1. Check the expiry date of your passport and the date of your travel time. When you obtain a visa your passport must be at least six month valid before it expires. So, do make sure you have a longer passport age before you apply for a visa to avoid any rejection during the process of application.

2. You may want to check the requirements you need to bring to apply for a visa. Check with the related consulate before you come and submit the documents so that you don;t have to waste time go here and there just because you miss one or two documents you need to submit.

3. During your traveling time, make sure you make a copy of your important documents digital and manual, to keep you from any bad things happen.

The most important thing to do when you are on a vacation is to enjoy your time as much as you can and preparing the trip is one of so many good things you can do to make your holiday the best thing you ever did.

Have fun!

On January 8, 2007, all travelers to Aruba and other Caribbean destinations will need a U.S. passport for air travel. The change comes as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security attempts to alleviate travel concerns about border security under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Unlike previous years when passports were not required for travel to Caribbean beach resorts, this upcoming season has added potential for traveler headache. As many tourists that have planned their Aruba family vacation or scheduled a wedding may not be aware of the new rules, there could well be a rush on new passport applications near the end of the year. Also, because the program will be in its first season, there certainly exists a possibility of delays beyond the outlined timeframes for passport applications.

So, as you plan your activities for your Aruba wedding or vacation, you should also organize your materials for your passport application. Currently, the State Department claims that passport applications take 4 to 6 weeks to process. As backlogs are certainly expected this season, it is recommended that you either apply for your passport now as a couple of months remain before the legislation goes into effect, or apply as soon as you know you are going to travel.

To alleviate some of your concern, here are some additional recommendations to secure your passport as quickly and easily as possible for your Aruba vacation and even an outline of what to do when you don’t have enough time to apply for a passport via traditional methods.

Regardless of how you plan on applying for your passport, the first thing you need to do is obtain proof of U.S. citizenship, usually in the form of a birth certificate. If you have an expired passport in your possession, that can also serve as acceptable documentation. Next, you will need to have a pair of passport pictures made. This is one of the easiest steps as many businesses such as drugstores and copy shops offer the service. Then, carefully complete the passport application available on the State Department website, or obtain an application from any post office or government facility.

Now you have to determine if you have enough time to wait 6 weeks or possibly longer for your passport to return. If you have ample time, prepare the necessary payment and mail through one of the accepted locations. To find a location to apply and pay for a passport in person, visit http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/.

If you are in a bit of a time crunch, you must determine what method will be the most effective for expediting the completion of your passport. Your best choices are expediting the application directly through the State Department or working with a third-party service. Though only the Passport Services Office of the State Department has the authority to issue passports, companies such as Passport Express and Travisa work directly with the government to secure passports in as little as 24 hours.

Either way, if it is your first passport or you have lost your expired passport, you must go to a passport acceptance facility with your passport photos, proof of citizenship and photo ID to have your application validated. The State Department lists about 7,000 locations, including courts, post offices, libraries and government offices.

At this stage, one of your options is to remit payment and mail applications from these approved locations. When mailing directly to the Passport Services Office, you will also have the ability to pay $60 for expedited shipping. Though this method doesn’t guarantee passport completion for immediate departures, it can be useful if you are traveling within 3 to 4 weeks to ensure you receive your passport.

In lieu of submitting your application directly to the Passport Services Office, your alternatives are to have your materials approved for mailing via the aforementioned third-party expediting services, or to make an appointment with one of 13 regional passport agencies. The regional offices serve citizens traveling within 2 weeks and can usually provide passports within 2-3 business days. After making an appointment at such an agency, you will need to provide proof of travel within the allotted timeframe. Yet, because these offices are located in only 13 cities, the third-party companies serve as more convenient methods for simplifying and expediting your passport application.

It is also worth noting that a Passport Card, or PASS Card, program is in development for land and sea travel to and from the Caribbean. When approved for use, this credit card-sized passport alternative could eliminate the need for a traditional passport if you were to travel to Aruba via cruise from the U.S. without any international air travel.

If there is some exotic locale in your travel plans for the immediate future, you’ll need to pack more than your toothbrush, suntan lotion and a favorite novel in your carry-on bag. You’ll need a United States passport, the all-critical key to successful travel beyond U.S. borders. New government travel rules that went into effect in 2007 require that all U.S. citizens have a valid passport when traveling by air to and from Bermuda, the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada. This legislative change resulted in unprecedented demand for passports over the summer. In June of 2007, the U.S. State Department reported that there were nearly three million applications pending for passports, pushing the turnaround time from the standard four to six weeks to twelve weeks or longer.

Don’t let your travel plans get sidelined before they ever get off the ground. To ensure your trip is smooth and delay-free, keep these five passport guidelines in mind:

1. Be mindful of the expiration date.

If you’ve had a passport for a while, take a moment to check the expiration date; you won’t be able to travel if the date has already passed. If it expires after you leave, you may have problems being allowed back into the country. Also, bear in mind that certain countries require that passports be valid for three to six months after your arrival. The exact amount of time varies, so contact the U.S. State Department or your travel agent for the entry requirements for your destination.

2. Apply as far in advance as possible.

The first six months of the year are the busiest for passport agencies, so give yourself at least two months if you’re ordering with regular delivery or three weeks for expedited service (add an extra $60 to your passport fees for expedited service). Traveling within 14 days? Make an appointment with the closest regional passport office. You can check the State Department Web site (http://travel.state.gov/) for locations or visit the trusted passport expediting services posted on www.OfficialTravelDocuments.com.

3. Take a clear photo following passport photo guidelines.

There’s no need to wait in line at a photo studio. Your local copy shop or drugstore may be equipped to take instant passport photos at an affordable rate. You’ll need two copies (2 inches by 2 inches in size) of the same photo, but photocopies are unacceptable, even if you use a good color printer. Your head must take up 50 percent of the photo, so don’t try to submit a full-length shot of your body. Have your picture taken against a plain background with no hat or dark glasses that could cover your face, and print the picture on photo-quality paper to ensure clarity. If the photo is too dark, your application might be rejected, and you will have wasted valuable time.

4. Make sure you have your birth certificate.

If you are applying for your first passport, or if you need new passport and don’t have your old one handy, you will need a certified copy of your birth certificate as proof of U.S. citizenship. All official birth certificates must be processed through the city, county or state where you were born. If you can’t find your old copy and need new one fast, you can visit the vital records office in the city where you were born, if you still live there, and request the record in person. Or, you can avoid the hassle of driving, parking and waiting in line, and simply order the record online through the company authorized by government vital records agencies nationwide–VitalChek Network, Inc. a ChoicePoint company. With online expedited ordering services available at www.vitalchek.com, you have a safe, convenient and quick way to get a certified copy of your birth records at affordable prices set in conjunction with the government agencies.

5. Carry a photocopy of your passport.

What do you do if you lose your passport while you’re in a foreign country? Report it to the local police in case it was stolen and contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The more information you have about your missing passport (the passport number, when and where it was issued, etc.) can help speed up the process of getting a replacement so you can return home. Make a photocopy of your passport before you leave on your trip and keep it in a suitcase or purse, just in case. You may even want to leave a second photocopy of your passport with a family member at home for additional security.