Below is a list of frequently asked questions 
that may help you prepare for your
 upcoming international trip.  

The information included here assumes you will be traveling on a Campus Get-Aways 
sponsored trip for a duration of two weeks or less.  

What is a Passport?
By definition, a Passport is a government issued document that proves you are a citizen of the issuing country. Passports are legal documents used by each government's State Department as the legal basis to allow people, including tourists, to pass into that country's border. Your Passport will be checked by Immigration Officers at the point where you enter a country to insure that you are entering legally.

What is a Visa and do I need one?
A "Visa" is an endorsement or stamp placed by officials of a foreign country on a U.S. passport that allows the recipient to visit that foreign country and no, you don't need one. Actual Visas must be applied for in writing long before travel and are needed to approve stays of long duration within a country (i.e. School Visas or Work Visas). However, due to the paperwork and expense of processing Visas and to promote tourism, Visas are not necessary in most western countries for stays of 90 days or less. This is true for all countries to which Campus Get-Aways travels. For these short visits, Passports are all that are required and the foreign country issues a temporary tourist Visa that is stamped at the time of entry.

Do I need a Passport to travel internationally?
For travel to Canada by a U.S. Citizen, a passport is recommended but not required. If you are traveling with a Passport, that is the only form of identification that you will need. If you are not traveling with a Passport, you will need two items to successfully cross the border. First, you will need Proof of U.S. Citizenship. This is most easily accomplished through a Birth Certificate, of which the certificate must be an official copy bearing the raised seal of the issuing agency. Official copies can be obtained with a fee through the issuing agency. Second, you will need a Photo ID. This is typically accomplished through a State issued Driver's License.  

Minors (under 16) traveling alone or in someone else's custody, in addition to providing Proof of U.S. Citizenship (Birth Certificate) must present written authorization, signed before a notary, from the parent(s) or guardian.

However, due to the procedure to obtain a copy of your Birth Certificate and/or notarized written authorization, and the relatively inexpensive cost of receiving a Passport (About $50), we recommend that all students traveling internationally apply for a Passport when feasible. A Passport is valid for either 5 or 10 years, depending on your age at the time of issue, and can serve as a valuable alternate form of identification for other purposes. Also remember, from the time you apply for a Passport until you receive it will take about 6-8 weeks if done normally, so make sure you plan ahead.

For travel to all other countries besides Canada, a passport is required without exception.

Note: Any non-U.S. Citizen will need their Passport and appropriate paperwork when traveling to any country outside the U.S., including Canada.

How do I obtain a Passport?
You can apply for a passport at over 4,500 passport acceptance facilities nationwide that include many Federal, state, and probate courts, many post offices, some libraries, and a number of county and municipal offices. For more information on Passports in general and on how and where to obtain a Passport, visit the U.S. State Department - Passport Service & Information website at:
www.travel.state.gov

What is "Customs"?
The U.S. Customs Service, generically referred to as "Customs", is responsible for the movement of all goods into and out of the country, whether they be personal or business related. The Customs Service is responsible for the enforcement of hundreds of laws that concern the legal admission of goods into the country. To simplify the role of Customs, let's say that their role is to determine first that all items entering the Country are legally allowed (i.e. No illegal items such as Narcotics, fruit, or Endangered species) and second, to determine if any "Duty" is required to be paid on those items. After passing through Immigration to have your Passport checked, you will separately pass through Customs to have your belongings checked.

What is a Customs "Duty"?
Duty is the amount of money you pay on items coming from another country. It is similar to a tax, except that duty is collected only on imported goods. Upon reentering the country, you will be required to "Declare" anything you're bringing back that you did not have when you left the United States. For example, you would declare any gifts or souvenirs you acquired while overseas. It would then be your responsibility to pay any Duty that was owed on those items.  

Again, in the promotion of tourism, an exception has been made to ease the process of clearing Customs. For all tourists reentering the country, a personal Duty exemption of $400 is granted. That means that so long as the items you purchased abroad are $400 or less in value, you will not have to pay a Duty on those items.

How will I declare my items?
When you come back to the U.S., you'll need to declare everything you brought back that you did not take with you when you left the United States (even if those items are $400 or less in value). If you are traveling by air or sea, you will be asked to fill out a Customs Declaration Form. This form will be provided by the airline or cruise ship on which you are traveling and you will be given assistance in completing the form. The simple form asks information about the items you purchased while abroad and the value of the items you are declaring. Helpful hint: You will probably find it easier and faster to fill out your declaration form and clear Customs if you keep all of your sales slips with you and try to pack the things you'll need to declare separately.

For more information on Customs, visit the U.S. Customs Service - Traveler Information website at:
www.customs.gov

What does "Duty-Free" or "Duty-Free Shopping" mean?
Many travelers are confused by the term "duty-free" as it relates to merchandise they buy in duty-free shops. Buying an item in a duty-free shop does not mean that you will not have to declare and pay duty on the item when you take it into your destination country. It only means that the item you are buying does not reflect the cost of duty or taxes that would have been added to the item if it had been formally imported into the country where the duty-free shop is located.

Duty-free shops are shops where taxes on commercial goods are neither collected by a government, nor paid by an importer. For example, an English-made wool sweater purchased in a clothing store in Germany may cost you $250.00, a price that includes the duty and taxes that the importer paid to import it. The same sweater purchased in a duty-free shop may only cost $225.00. That's because as long as the sweater stays in the duty-free shop, or exits the country with the purchaser, it has not been formally imported into the country. There has been no duty charged on the sweater, and the duty-free shop owner has been able to pass that savings on to you. Its price is free of duty, or "duty-free".

Now, when you bring that same sweater back home with you to the U.S., you will need to declare the purchase and may have to pay duty on the sweater if you exceed your personal exemption.

How much money will I need?
Like domestic travel, we like to say that students and parents alike will usually spend all that they bring. However, practically speaking, most Campus Get-Aways trips are virtually all inclusive. Typically, the students will need to pay for one meal out of the day-lunch, (and check your package, because most European trips include many lunches). Also, remember when planning that tourist areas usually charge a little more for food and services. Other than that, the only thing your student will be responsible for will be snacks and souvenirs.

How can I exchange my money into foreign currency?
To exchange your currency, you have several options. One, you can go to your local bank and they can exchange the money for you here in the U.S. If you do this, be aware that you may have to give your bank a few days notice as they may not have the foreign currency on hand. Also remember that you will have to carry all of this cash with you for your entire trip.  

Second, you can exchange either U.S. Dollars or Traveler’s Checks at a location in the foreign country. You can easily do this, as all the towns we will visit are very accommodating to tourists. However, with this method you should remember that you will be charged an ‘exchange fee’ for the convenience of exchanging your U.S. Dollars/Traveler’s Checks into foreign currency. (While traveling abroad, Traveler's Checks are preferred over cash because of their safety in case of loss.)  Note, if you do exchange currency abroad, remember to do it at a bank if possible as their ‘exchange fees’ will be lower than at a hotel, shop, or at a currency exchange booth. 

Lastly, and most conveniently, is the use of Credit Cards or ATM Cards. Due to the convenience and security of Credit/ATM Cards, if you are looking for our suggestion out of the three options, this would be it--and this goes for parents and students. When making a purchase, you can use any Visa, Master Card, and usually American Express just like here in the U.S. This is very convenient because the exchange will be made automatically with your credit card company, the charge will show up exchanged into U.S. dollars on your monthly statement, and most importantly, you will typically not be charged any fees to exchange the currency (check with your credit/debit card to be sure about that). It is exactly as though you are purchasing something here in the States.  

For small or incidental purchases though, you will obviously need cash on hand. Just like a credit card, your ATM Cash Card works just as efficiently abroad. The ATM machines are exactly like ours in appearance and function and will dispense foreign currency to you as you request. Like credit cards, your bank will automatically exchange currency with your account, and most importantly, will not charge you any exchange fees (again, check with your bank to be sure). Like here in the U.S., you will most likely be charged a small ATM User’s Fee.

It is likely that you will decide on a combination of these choices. But no matter your decision, remember that when it comes to currency exchange; don’t go overboard at the end of the trip as you will need to exchange any unused foreign currency back into dollars at the end of the trip.

Note: If you do return home from the trip with extra foreign currency, do not exchange it back into U.S. Dollars until you return home to your bank. This is because exchange booths will charge you another high exchange fee to get back to dollars. And in the unlikely event that your bank at home charges an exchange fee (usually not), if charged, it would be lower that what you would pay abroad. 

For a listing of current exchange rates and an easy to use currency converter calculator, visit the following website: www.xe.com/ucc/

Be sure to visit our Travel FAQs page using this link or the tab at the top of this page
for even more Frequently Asked Questions about travel in general.