If you plan on traveling outside of the Country you were born in, you need a passport.
What is a Passport
You might be wondering, what exactly is a passport? Well, it is a document that shows which Country you live in.
Official travel document issued by a government that contains a person’s identity.
That came from Wikipedia
Why do I need one
Well, if you live in the United States of America and want to travel to Australia, you have to have an official document stating that
- Who you are
- What Country do you live in
In case you would like to get back into the Country.
They are issued for a certain amount of time. In the USA, they are given for
- Under the age of 16
- Every five years
- Over the age of 16
- Every ten years.
Countries Require one
Most countries require that you have at least six months left on your passport when you enter a country.
Say you are traveling in June 2024, and your passport expires in September 2024. Is this six months out? No, it isn’t. So, you might be denied entry into the Country, which could be a costly mistake.
Closed Loop cruises
Yes, you might not need to get one for a closed-loop cruise. You might be asking, what in the heck is a closed-loop cruise? Well, it is where you start from, Say, Los Angeles, and you return to Los Angeles. You can get by with just a birth certificate. However, say you are in Cabo, and you are seriously hurt, and you can’t return via the cruise ship, and you need to return to the USA. This could make it harder for you to get back home. A passport would make this easier.
Cost
The average cost of a passport is the following:
| Type | Cost in Dollars |
| Passport Book | $130 |
| Passport Card | $30 |
| Book and Card | $160 |
Under 16
| Type | Cost |
| Book | $100 |
| Card | $15 |
| Both | $115 |
The differences between the book and the card.
The card will only get you back into the USA from Mexico and Canada across the border. If you are flying, this won’t work.
If you are flying, you will need a passport book.
Plain and simple
You are going to travel, the best thing to do is get a passport. Yes, I know that it is $130 per person, and that can add up if you have a big family it can add up. But if you think about if something ever happens and you are stuck outside of the Country, the expense can be far more significant than just getting the passports in the first place.
Watch the date
When you have a passport, you need to check the expiration date so that you can renew it promptly. You don’t want to miss a trip you have already paid for because the date passes too close to the trip.
You can, however, do same-day processing. You must make an appointment and bring the items needed to get or renew one. It is an all-day affair and can only be done in specific USA locations. You can find the one closest to you here.