| | Check your passport's expiration date | | by Caroline Tanner, News Reporter | |  | As we head into the busiest travel days of the year, you've likely got a checklist of to-do items. Remember that the holidays aren't just busy at home, but also at the airports.
If traveling abroad is on your holiday to-do list this year, I hope you've verified that your passport has not expired.
Most countries require visitors' passports to be valid for three to six months at the time of travel. Be sure to check the requirements of your specific country since some require validity from the date of entry while others consider the six-month period to begin on the date of your intended departure from the country.
If you are reading this and thinking, "Oh no! My passport is about to expire," or will expire within six months of an upcoming jaunt abroad, the U.S. Department of State will not be able to help except in very limited emergency travel circumstances outlined here.
With turnaround times of five to seven weeks and eight to 11 weeks for expedited and routine services, respectively, travelers needing a U.S. passport sooner should consider a third-party service, such as CIBTvisas.
A private company contracted to work with the government, CIBTvisas handles the logistical legwork of renewing or applying for a U.S. passport by submitting materials on customers' behalf directly to the agency.
Of course, such a service, which can process expedited passport requests in one to three days, comes at a premium compared to the $130 charged by the government for standard service, plus an additional $60 for expedited service.
Either way, we hope you get your passport in time.
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