For most travelers from the United States, going to Europe is a relatively smooth experience, without the need to apply for visas or pay steep fees for short visits. But for people like Duygu Yildirim, that isn’t the case. Yildirim, 36, holds a Turkish passport and lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. Within Europe’s Schengen Area, a border-free zone allowing free movement among 27 European countries, citizens of Turkey and dozens of other countries, including India, South Africa and China, must apply for visas for stays of fewer than 90 days. The application process is expensive, anxiety-inducing and time-consuming. For every visit to Europe, the visa costs 80 euros (about $85) and requires an in-person appointment as well as hard copies of various legal
Travel Documents
State Department has a NEW way for travelers to apply for Passports
Mehroz Kapadia/Travel + Leisure Amid a surge of new passport applications, the United States Department of State is taking a summer road trip of sorts across America to help travelers complete their application process. The “Special Passport Acceptance Fairs” will be held at public libraries, recreation centers, and local city administrative offices. A majority of the events are in California and New Jersey, but several others are taking place in Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin. New events are added weekly, and the full schedule is available in the U.S. Department of State’s website. The special events are only for new passport applications, and travelers who are looking to renew an existing passport are encouraged to do so by mail. If none of the locations are near
Passport Crisis, Hurry Up and Wait
Candese Charles Tue, April 4, 2023 at 12:03 PM GMT+2 LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — If you’re looking to travel abroad and need a passport, you’re not the only one. Currently, the rush of applications has pushed the wait time to several months. “We’re getting 500,000 applications a week for passports,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said March 24, calling the renewed demand for travel “unprecedented.” The State Department warns it is taking 10 to 13 weeks to receive a passport and the expedited process, which costs an extra $60, will take seven to nine weeks. Staffing shortages are being blamed for some of the delays. Trying to get an appointment at one of the 20 passport centers in Clark County, Nevada is leaving some people
Need a Passport Be Prepared to Wait 12 to 18 Weeks
Travel is being booked at a break neck pace and with it is coming some growing pains. One of the biggest has been an increase in the time it takes to get a passport. While the travel advisor business is finally coming back up to speed, passport wait times are stretching out as far as 18 weeks now. Many clients have to cancel/postpone trips due to the passport not coming in time. The State Department is adding staff to help with the delays. Over 150 staff will return to work at 21 agencies across the country, which could help increase capacity, which will help applications move along. However, there is going to be a ramping-up period, so applicants are still asked to remain