Passport Required

U.S. citizens need a passport for travel to the European Union.

Your passport should meet these requirements for this itinerary:

• • It should be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S.
  • It should have the recommended number of blank pages (see below for details)
  • The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable.

Recommended number of blank pages:

This recommendation is based on a “worst case” scenario. You might use fewer pages, depending on the whims of the Immigration official on duty that day. Since the consequence of having too few pages can be severe—you could be denied entry into a country—we feel that it’s better to be safe than sorry, and we strongly recommend that you follow these guidelines.

• • 2 blank “Visa” pages.

Please take moment to check if your passport meets all of these requirements. If not, you could be refused entry into a country. And if that happens, you might be required by that country to return to the U.S. immediately, which would be at your own expense.

If you need to renew your passport or get extra pages:

Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport, renewing your existing passport, or for additional pages. You can renew your passport by mail if it is not damaged, you obtained it within the last fifteen years, and it’s in the name you want on your new passport. Many local post offices carry forms for renewing by mail or obtaining extra pages. Allow several weeks for processing your passport.

NOTE: When updating your passport, it is worthwhile to check the prices on all the different services that might apply to you. For example, it might be less expensive to renew your passport than to have pages added, depending on the number of pages you need.

Visas

For U.S. citizens, a visa is not required for entry into the countries mentioned on this website.

No U.S. Passport?  Non-U.S. citizens or non-U.S. passport holders: If you are not a U.S. citizen or if you possess a passport from a country other than the U.S., you should check with your local consulate or embassy about possible visa requirements.

Backup Photocopies

The smartest security precaution you can take is to make photocopies of your passport’s personal information pages, your air tickets, your traveler’s check serial numbers (if you’re using them), and your credit cards. Make a list of the phone and fax numbers for reporting lost credit cards, your travel protection plan company (if you have an optional travel protection plan) and medical emergency network. Keep these documents separate from the originals, and they can save you immeasurable time, money, and trouble if your originals are lost or stolen as you travel. In addition, scan these photocopies and email them to your email address; you can then print out replacement copies if necessary.