Passports and Visas

Where to get your passport:

• Australian Passports
• British Passports
• Canadian Passports
• Irish Passports
• New Zealand Passports
• South African Passports
• United States Passports

Passport and pictures in the US cost US$110 ($97 for passport, $10-15 for pictures).  Make sure you do this 3 or more months before you go. Currently, due to high demand, passports in the US are taking up to 10 weeks to be processed. A passport may be obtained faster if you pay for expedited service ($60).

The first time I ordered my passport I ended up having to send it back to be corrected because according to the U.S. government my name was "Maaryn" instead of Kaaryn.  I had to wait two more weeks to get this error corrected. I don't know how common that type of error is, but leave yourself plenty of time when applying for a passport.

Do I need a visa?
In most cases you do not need visas to travel to Europe (especially is you are from a country that is part of the European Union, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United States.

Go to Embassy World to find out if you need a visa for a certain country. 

• Foreign Entry Requirements for Americans 
  (US State Department)
• Visa Requirements for Australians
  (Travel.com.au) 
• Visa Requirements for Canadians
  (Canadian Consular Affairs)
• Visa Requirements for Citizens of Ireland
  (They tell you to check with individual embassies) 
• Visa Information for New Zealanders
  (They tell you to check with individual embassies) 
•  Consular Services for South Africans
  (South African Department of Foreign Affairs)

Sites to determine if you need a visa for:

• France

Required European Visas I Know About

• Russia - Anyone planning to visit Russia needs a visa.