On this page · 9 sections
- Which situation are you in?
- Do you need a passport for St. Lucia?
- What are the exceptions? Cruises and other special cases
- How long must your passport be valid, and how many blank pages do you need?
- Does every family member need their own passport?
- Do you need a passport for Mexico?
- What changes if you are not a U.S. citizen?
- How do you get a passport in time for your trip?
- Why get your passport with PassportsAndVisas.com?
Key Takeaways
- A U.S. passport often needs to stay valid for at least six months after your arrival date, but Canada and Mexico only ask U.S. citizens for a passport that is valid through their return dates.
- PassportsAndVisas.com checks your documents before anything is submitted and gets a new, renewed or child passport in as little as 3-4 business days, from $199 plus government fees.
- A child under 16 cannot renew a U.S. passport, so the child applies for a new one in person, with both parents present or a notarized consent form.
- Routine U.S. passport processing by the government takes 4–6 weeks, and up to 10 weeks door to door once shipping both ways is counted.
- Travelers who are not U.S. citizens follow the entry rules for the passport they hold, and the PassportsAndVisas.com visa checker shows those rules by destination.
Which situation are you in?
Whether you need a passport depends on how you travel and where you go. A U.S. citizen flying to any country outside the United States needs a valid U.S. passport, and a closed-loop cruise is the main common exception.
Whether you need a passport depends on how you travel and where you go. A U.S. citizen flying to any country outside the United States needs a valid U.S. passport, and a closed-loop cruise is the main common exception. Find your situation below.
| If… | Then… |
|---|---|
| You are a U.S. citizen flying to another country (St. Lucia, Mexico, Barbados, Europe or anywhere else abroad) | You need a valid U.S. passport. Each traveler needs their own. |
| You are taking a closed-loop cruise that leaves from and returns to the same U.S. port | A birth certificate and photo ID can be accepted, but a passport is the safe choice: if you miss the ship at a foreign port, you need a passport to fly home. |
| Your passport expires within six months of your arrival date | Many countries can refuse entry, so renew now. Canada and Mexico only ask U.S. citizens for a passport valid through their return dates. |
| You are traveling with a baby or a child | The child needs their own passport. A child under 16 cannot renew and applies for a new passport in person. |
| Your passport is lost, stolen or damaged | You cannot renew it. You apply for a new passport on form DS-11, signed in front of an acceptance agent. |
| You are not a U.S. citizen, including green card holders | The rules depend on the passport you hold and where you are going. Our visa checker shows them by destination. |
Do you need a passport for St. Lucia?
Yes. A U.S. citizen flying to St. Lucia needs a valid U.S. passport, because every U.S. citizen who travels outside the United States by air needs one.
Yes. A U.S. citizen flying to St. Lucia needs a valid U.S. passport, because every U.S. citizen who travels outside the United States by air needs one. That applies to every member of your group, babies included.
Visiting St. Lucia as a cruise port works differently. On a closed-loop cruise, a birth certificate and photo ID can be accepted, but a passport protects you if you miss the ship and have to fly home from the island.
Plan for your passport to stay valid well past your trip. Many countries, including much of the Caribbean, ask for at least six months of validity beyond your arrival date, so a passport close to expiry is worth renewing before you go.
What are the exceptions? Cruises and other special cases
The main exception to the passport rule for U.S. citizens is a closed-loop cruise, one that leaves from and returns to the same U.S. port. A birth certificate and photo ID can be accepted on those sailings, though a passport is strongly recommended.
Closed-loop cruises
The main exception to the passport rule for U.S. citizens is a closed-loop cruise, one that leaves from and returns to the same U.S. port. A birth certificate and photo ID can be accepted on those sailings. A passport is strongly recommended, because a passenger who misses the ship at a foreign port needs a passport to fly home.
For cruises, the U.S. Department of State advises a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond your travel, with two or more blank pages.
Losing your passport on a trip
A U.S. passport lost while you are abroad should be reported right away to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. Then plan to get a new passport as soon as possible.
How long must your passport be valid, and how many blank pages do you need?
Many countries require a U.S. passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, and a passport that expires sooner can mean being refused entry, even though it is still valid on the day you fly.
Many countries require a U.S. passport to be valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, and a passport that expires sooner can mean being refused entry, even though it is still valid on the day you fly. Most of Europe, much of Asia and many Latin American countries apply this rule.
Count the months from the day you land, not from today. A passport with seven months left today may fall short of six months by the time a trip later in the year begins.
Does every family member need their own passport?
Yes. Every person needs their own U.S. passport, including newborn babies, and a child cannot travel on a parent's passport.
Yes. Every person needs their own U.S. passport, including newborn babies, and a child cannot travel on a parent's passport. Our guide on whether babies need passports covers infant travel in more detail.
A child under 16 cannot renew a passport. The child applies for a new one in person, with both parents or guardians present, or with a notarized consent form (DS-3053) from the parent who cannot attend. The child's certified birth certificate is needed, and it also proves the parents' relationship.
| Cost | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee, passport book for a child under 16 | $100 | Government |
| Execution fee Paid at the acceptance agent | $35 | Government |
| PassportsAndVisas.com child passport service Fastest speed: 3-4 business days | from $199 | PassportsAndVisas.com |
Need your child's passport before the trip?
Get your child's passport now →Do you need a passport for Mexico?
Yes. A U.S. citizen flying to Mexico needs a valid U.S. passport, and for U.S. citizens Mexico only asks that the passport be valid through the return dates of the trip.
Yes. A U.S. citizen flying to Mexico needs a valid U.S. passport, and for U.S. citizens Mexico only asks that the passport be valid through the return dates of the trip. Mexico is one of the two notable exceptions to the six-month rule, alongside Canada.
Cruise travelers stopping in Mexican ports follow the closed-loop cruise rule above. For more on land and cruise trips, read what part of Mexico you can visit without a passport. Visa rules for Mexico depend on the passport you hold, and our visa checker shows them for yours.
Non-U.S. reader needs a personal answer for their passport and destination.
Ask Sarah a question →What changes if you are not a U.S. citizen?
A traveler who is not a U.S. citizen, including a green card holder, follows the passport and visa rules for the passport they hold and the country they are visiting, and those rules differ from the U.S. citizen answers above.
A traveler who is not a U.S. citizen, including a green card holder, follows the passport and visa rules for the passport they hold and the country they are visiting, and those rules differ from the U.S. citizen answers above. Some passports travel visa-free to a destination while others need an eVisa or a visa first.
Our visa checker works as one travel requirements check: enter your passport and destination to see whether you need a visa, an eVisa, an ETA or nothing at all. PassportsAndVisas.com assists with travel visas for travelers of every nationality, so when your trip needs a visa, we take the application from there.
Our date assumes you send us your documents tomorrow. Government dates are the State Department's published estimates.
First-time, child and certain replacement applications still require one in-person acceptance signing — we prepare the packet and find the soonest slot near you.
How do you get a passport in time for your trip?
A U.S. passport can arrive in as little as 3-4 business days through PassportsAndVisas.com, while the government's own routine route takes up to 10 weeks door to door.
A U.S. passport can arrive in as little as 3-4 business days through PassportsAndVisas.com, while the government's own routine route takes up to 10 weeks door to door. Pick the speed that fits your travel date. Not sure whether you need a new passport, a renewal or a child passport? See which passport service you need.
| Option | Time | Kind of time |
|---|---|---|
| PassportsAndVisas.com Emergency Expedited | 3-4 business days | PAV speed, from when we receive your documents |
| PassportsAndVisas.com Rush Expedited | 6 business days | PAV speed, from when we receive your documents |
| PassportsAndVisas.com Priority Expedited | 8 business days | PAV speed, from when we receive your documents |
| PassportsAndVisas.com Essential Expedited | 12 business days | PAV speed, from when we receive your documents |
| Government expedited processing | 2–3 weeks | Government processing |
| Government expedited, door to door | up to 7 weeks | Processing plus shipping both ways |
| Government routine processing | 4–6 weeks | Government processing |
| Government routine, door to door | up to 10 weeks | Processing plus shipping both ways |
Our speeds are the same for new passports, renewals and child passports. What you pay is the government's fees, listed as their parts below, plus our service fee if you choose PassportsAndVisas.com.
| Cost | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee, adult passport book | $130 | Government |
| Execution fee New, child and lost or damaged applications on form DS-11; not for renewals | $35 | Government |
| Expedite fee For expedited government processing | $60 | Government |
| 1 to 3-day delivery of the finished passport | $26.87 | Government |
| PassportsAndVisas.com service fee Essential $199, Priority $249, Rush $349, Emergency $449 | from $199 | PassportsAndVisas.com |
Why get your passport with PassportsAndVisas.com?
PassportsAndVisas.com gets your passport ready for your trip by checking every document before submission, submitting it for you and shipping it back by FedEx, with updates by text and email along the way.
PassportsAndVisas.com gets your passport ready for your trip by checking every document before submission, submitting it for you and shipping it back by FedEx, with updates by text and email along the way. A registered passport expediter since 1992, we have served 500K+ travelers and hold 11,766 customer reviews.
- Document pre-check: our team reviews every document before anything is submitted, because a bad photo or missing paper is what holds applications up.
- Digital Photo Service: we turn your selfie into a compliant passport photo.
- Forms prepared for you in your portal, and FedEx shipping both ways.
- Renewals are signed at home with no acceptance agent visit; new and child passports need one short visit to sign in front of an agent.
We are a private company, not the U.S. government.
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