In this section you will find important travel related information.  Please visit this section frequently as we will list the latest travel information and warnings from the US State Department and other travel resources.

Passport Rules & Regulations

On January 23, 2007, the US State Department instituted a new rule stating that all US citizens traveling by air between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, Panama, Bermuda and the Caribbean will need to present a valid Passport to gain re-entry into the United States of America. 

Passport Fees:
Age 16 and older:  Passport application fee is $67. The execution fee is $30.  The total is $97.
Under Age 16:  Passport application fee is $52.  The execution fee is $30.  The total is $82.
There is an additional fee to have your passport photo taken on site at the acceptance facility.  This fee is usually $15.

Methods of Payment:
Credit Cards (VISA, Master Card, American Express, Discover Card), Debit/Check cards (not ATM cards), Checks (personal, certified, travelers’ and cashiers’), Money Orders (US Postal). 

Applications (you can download and print your application – do not sign it – from the US State Department’s website www.travel.state.gov)  and payment for passports can be accepted at one of the fourteen Passport Agencies or one of the 9,000 Passport Acceptance Facilities.  Your local US Post Office is probably a designated passport acceptance facility.  For the complete listing of passport acceptance agencies/facilities, please visit:  www.travel.state.gov.

Processing Time:
Normal processing time is four to six weeks from the receipt of your application.  Expedited processing (incurs additional fees) is three weeks.

For any questions related to the passport application and processing time, please contact the National Passport Information Center 1-877-487-2778 or visit:  www.travel.state.gov.

Current Travel Warnings

Nigeria
From the statement dated: October 30, 2007

This Travel Warning is being issued to warn U.S. citizens of the possible dangers of travel to Nigeria, and to note the continued unstable security situation in the Niger Delta region.  American citizens should deter all but essential travel to Delta, Bayelsa, and Rivers states because of the very high risk of kidnapping, robbery, and other armed attacks in these areas.  American citizens who are residents in the Delta are strongly advised to review their personal security in light of the information contained in this Travel Warning when deciding whether to remain.  The ability of the U.S. Government to provide consular services to Americans in these areas may be limited.  This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Nigeria issued on January 19, 2007.

The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens of the possible dangers of travel to Nigeria.  Periodically travel by U.S. mission personnel is restricted based on changing security conditions, often due to crime, general strikes, or student/political demonstrations or disturbances.  The lack of law and order in Nigeria poses considerable risks to travelers.  Violent crimes committed by ordinary criminals, as well as by persons in police and military uniforms, can occur throughout the country and tends to peak between November and January, during the holiday period.

To read the complete Nigeria Travel Warning please visit:  www.travel.state.gov.

Sri Lanka
From the statement dated: October 19, 2007

The Department of State specifically warns Americans against travel to northern and eastern areas of Sri Lanka.

While the government has effectively controlled the eastern part of the country since July 2007, security is not yet assured.  Some LTTE members and larger numbers of armed paramilitary members are active in the area, leading to instability and incidents of violence.  This situation is likely to continue for some time.  Americans are particularly warned against travel to LTTE-controlled areas in the north, which may pose severe hazards.

Official travel by U.S. Government personnel to areas north of a line following the highway from Puttalam through Anuradhapura to Polonaruwa, Bibile, and Pottuvil in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka is restricted, an unofficial travel is prohibited.  In March 2007, the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka sustained a minor injury just after a Sri Lankan military helicopter he was traveling in was attacked shortly after landing at a military base in Batticaloa.  The Ambassador was not the specific target of the LTTE attack.

The Department also alerts American citizens…

To read the complete Sri Lanka Travel Warning please visit:  www.travel.state.gov.