I’m actually sweating if I have enough consecutive blank pages right now because we are about to head off to Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa and 2 of them require 2 consecutive blank pages. I’ll have to watch where they are going to stamp (if they do) so I'll be sure to have enough so we wanted to share these tips with you in case you didn't know about them.
Here’s the 3 things you NEED to do as soon as you get your NEW passport:
- Sign it. Don’t be the one that holds up the line at immigration while you sign your new passport.
- Look to see when your passport expires and immediately put on your calendar to renew at least 9 months before it expires. Lots of countries require it to be valid for at least 6 more months when you visit and you’ll need to time to get it renewed. You can go to travel.state.gov and click on international travel to search the requirements of reach country
- Reserve some blank pages in your passport. Some countries require two consecutive visa pages be blank and now I’m sweating it that they’ll stamp the pages I need when we go to Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa in a couple of month. You can check that same website to see how many pages you'll need for that country too.
You'll need a e-Visa to visit Aruba but it's quick, easy, and Free to Apply
Travel.state.gov will also link you to the official pages to get your international visas because unfortunately there are a lot of fake and copycat visa sites out there or ones that charge way more than the visa costs to do it for you. Sometimes it might be worth it to use a service but sometimes it’s quick and easy to just apply for yourself. Curaçao and Aruba were free and simple - no need to pay for it or pay to have someone to do it for you. Kenya was a little tricker but I got it done (after about 1.5 hours though). Working on the Egypt one now and it proving to be more finicky, so if you have Egypt visa tips, I’ll take them.
While weren't on the subject of Visas, did you know that the rules for traveling to Europe are changing in mid 2025? Once launched, visa-exempt travelers will be required to apply for the travel authorization online to enter most European countries. Travelers from more than 60 visa-free countries will need to get a travel authorization before coming to Europe for a brief stay. The authorization will be processed through the European Travel Information and Authoritization System (ETIAS).
The purpose of ETIAS is further strengthen Europe’s internal security by carrying pre-travel screening of visa-free travelers to determine whether they pose a security, illegal immigration, or public health risk.
Your ETIAS travel authorization is valid for three years or until the travel document you used in your application expires - whichever comes first.
It is for short-term stays: a valid ETIAS travel authorization entitles you to stay in the European countries requiring ETIAS for up to 90 days within any 180-day period.
In Mid 2025 nationals of 60 visa-exempt countries/territories need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization
You must be in possession of a valid ETIAS travel authorization during your entire stay. You can leave and come back at any time, as long as you respect this time limit.
Applying for the ETIAS travel authorization will costs EUR 7. Read more about what you need to apply. Be aware to use the official site only as there are already a lot of scam and copycat sites popping up as this system is implemented. That's why I like using the travel.state.gov website so that I know I'm going to the official sites to apply for the visas.
Have you applied for your own tourist visas when you travel or hire it out? What tips would you add (are the sticky notes ok or should I worry about having those in there - even though they’re easy to take out)
Did you know to check these for these things when you get your new passport?
