Travel Alert: Measles Outbreak in Pakistan May Lead to International Travel Ban - Expedited Passports

An uncontrolled measles outbreak is taking its toll on Pakistan. A report released last month stated that less than four months into the new year, there have already been 25,401 reported cases of measles in Pakistan, and 146 children have already died as a result of this disease.

This uncontrolled measles outbreak may soon lead to an international travel ban in Pakistan.

Dr. Sania Nishtar, Pakistan’s Minister for Information and Technology, Education and Trainings, and Science and Technology, said that this was the second time a measles outbreak could not be prevented in Pakistan. She warned that this could lead to international isolation and a potential international travel ban.

In 2012, there were over 7,000 laboratory confirmed cases of measles in Pakistan. Of those cases, tests show that 60 percent of the children had never received a single dose of measles vaccine, while another 20 percent had been given only a single dose.

Dr. Qamarul Hasan, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) focal person on the measles outbreak in Pakistan said that Pakistan is one of the top five countries in the world having the highest number of unvaccinated children.

When planning to travel abroad, always stay informed about potential health alerts in your destination.  The US Department of State provides country specific information on Travel.State.Gov with requirements for entry, health and medical conditions, and more.

If international travel plans to Pakistan are on your agenda this year, be aware that both a valid US passport as well as a valid Pakistani visa is required for entry into Pakistan by US citizens.  Additional information for obtaining a Pakistani visa can be found on the Embassy of Pakistan’s website or by contacting one of the locations below.

Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC

www.embassyofpakistanusa.org
Consular Office Washington DC
3517 International Court NW
Washington, DC 20008.
(202)243-6500
info@embassyofpakistanusa.org

New York Consulate

www.pakistanconsulateny.org
Consulate General of Pakistan
12 East, 65th Street
New York, NY  10065
212-879-5800
info@pakistanconsulateny.org

Los Angeles Consulate

www.pakconsulatela.org
Consulate General of Pakistan
10850 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1250
Los Angeles, CA 90024.
310-441-5114

Chicago Consulate

www.cgpkchicago.org
Consulate General of Pakistan
333 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 728
Chicago, IL  60601
312-781-1831
info@cgpkchicago.org

Houston Consulate

www.pakistanconsulatehouston.org/
Consulate General of Pakistan
11850 Jones Road
Houston, TX  77070
281-894-6605
parephouston@sbcglobal.net

Alternately, you can get your Pakistani travel visa online at RushMyTravelVisa.com.  While no international travel ban has been issued yet, this measles outbreak in Pakistan is a potential health risk that you should know about before traveling to the country.

International travel will hit record highs this year, at least that’s the prediction from Airlines for America (A4A), the industry trade organization for leading U.S. airlines.

In its annual forecast, A4A predicts that this year U.S. airlines will carry close to 209 million global passengers during the height of summer travel (June through August, 2013). Included in that estimate are 27 million international travelers.

If this forecast runs true, summer air travel this year will reach its highest peak in five years. When will airports and airlines be most crowded? The busiest travel days are expected to be Thursdays and Fridays between mid-Jun and the first week of August.

Top 25 International Travel Destinations

Source: http://travel.usnews.com/Rankings/Worlds_Best_Vacations/

With the busiest international travel season ahead, passport processing times can be higher than normal.  If you are planning international travel and still need to apply for a new U.S. passport, name change, or add pages to an existing passport, get started now.

If your passport will be expiring within 6-7 months of your planned travel date, get it renewed.  Be aware that some countries require for your passport to be valid for 6 months beyond your arrival date – or from your departure date – depending on the rules in each country.  For example, Brazil and China base their six-month rule on the arrival date.

If you’re short on time (or patience), consider getting an expedited passport.

Traveling in a hurry? There are several ways to get an expedited passport.

According to State Department spokesman Peter Velasco, the Department of State has 26 passport agencies across the nation that can assist U.S. travelers who need their travel documents immediately. The Department of State charges an additional $60 fee for expedited passport service.

If you have to travel abroad for business or family emergencies and you need to leave in a day or two, applying for an expedited passport through the State Department will not solve your problem. But you do have other options.

US Passport Agency – Standard – 4-7 Weeks, Expedited 2-3 weeks
RushMyPassport.com – Standard – 8-12 Days, Expedited 24 hours

If you need your expedited U.S. passport for immediate travel, a passport expediting service is the ideal solution. If one of the tasks on your “to do” list involves getting or renewing your passport, you may discover that an expedited passport service is actually a godsend. Yes, you’ll pay a fee for the service. But you won’t have to do any of the legwork.

People take advantage of expedited passport services when renewing a U.S. passport or getting a first time passport, because the process takes a lot of time and energy. In addition to all the required paperwork, passport applicants can often wait in long lines for hours, eating up all your valuable time. Many feel it simply isn’t worth the hassle. Overseas travelers have plenty of loose ends to tie up before their trips – and very little spare time in which to do it.

How much is your time worth? Is it worth missing a day of work and the aggravation of standing in line at the post office or passport office to handle the passport paperwork yourself? More and more people are saying “no”. When time is at a premium, our expedited passport services can deliver a lot of peace of mind.

Summer travel season is almost here. Even with our current economic challenges, vacation getaways still rank at the top of our “most wanted” list. But with less discretionary income for vacation travel, most people are looking for ways to cut costs.

Some airlines offer last-minute travel deals when booking 3 to 14 days before departure. These deals can be a great bargain, but you are also risking that no last-minute seats will be available.

Booking at least 21 days in advance of your departure date is one way to save. Usually, the more available seats on the flight the cheaper the ticket will be. Fares increase steadily as you get closer to your departure date.  This is illustrated in the chart below, with data provided by Orbitz.com, for the average airfare price based on advance purchase.

You can always save on travel agent commissions by booking the trip yourself. Major airline ticket resellers offer discount fares. Booking and traveling on the right days can make a major difference in the cost of fares.  Here are some details to keep in mind when booking your own travel:

• Book your flight on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday – the best fares are usually available at the beginning of the week.
• Be flexible with your travel dates and you will find the cheapest available flights.
• The cheapest days of the week to fly are usually Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
• Search for flights three days before and three days after your targeted travel dates and choose the travel dates that offer the best deals.

So if you’re planning a summer vacation, remember to plan ahead and book your air travel well in advance. And if this is your summer for international travel, make sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row. More international travelers could mean longer delays in getting your passport and other necessary travel documents.

People have a lot of questions about travel insurance. What is it? What does it cover? Is it worth the price? Where do I get it? So here are some simple answers to help you make a more informed decision.

All travel insurance policies are different. So before you buy, make sure you’re getting the protection you want at a fair price. But don’t buy until you find out if you already have these benefits through your existing insurance coverage and credit cards. If you’re already covered, make sure the coverage meets your needs.

One of the main reasons people buy travel insurance is for trip cancellation and interruption protection. It would cover some or all of the charges if you had to cancel your trip or come home early due to an emergency.  Some travel insurance policies offer reimbursement for your pre-paid nonrefundable trip costs if your passport is lost or stolen prior to starting your trip.  A trip would have to be canceled if the traveler could not secure a replacement passport in time.

Another type of coverage protects personal effects while traveling. But again, do your homework before you buy. Some airlines will reimburse you a standard payment for lost  bags. Your credit card and homeowner’s insurance may also cover loss of personal effects while traveling.

Then there’s health-related coverage. If you need emergency medical care while traveling, it could get expensive – especially when the health emergency prevents you from making your scheduled departure. Costs could include medical treatment, evacuation, lodging, food, transportation and new travel arrangements to return home.

While your current medical plan may cover some costs of emergency medical treatment while traveling, it may not cover others – like accident-related costs from “high risk” activities, or charges for medical evacuation. If you’re traveling abroad to places where you don’t trust the level of medical care, you’ll want to make sure you have an exit plan in place if a health issue should arise. If you do decide to buy travel insurance with medical coverage, make sure you know exactly what you’re buying. Some policies may exclude pre-existing conditions or limit coverage for evacuation, travel and more.

So do your homework, then decide if travel insurance is right for you. And while you’re making your travel plans, make sure that you know where your passport is and make sure it is not expired. For more information about passports, including expedited passport services, go to www.rushmypassport.com.

More than ever before, our pets are considered part of our family. Since a recent survey from AAA and Best Western International shows 51 percent of Americans take their pets along when they travel, here is some helpful information about traveling internationally with pets.

Check the Airline’s restrictions.

Airlines like AirCanada, AirFrance, Delta, JetBlue, United and Virgin America allow small pets to travel with you in the cabin with certain restrictions. Requirements differ from airline to airline with a limited number of in-cabin pets per flight. Some pet-friendly airlines like JetBlue even offer frequent flyer miles for pets.

Check the visiting country’s requirements.

Each country has its own restrictions for pet travel. Unlike your passport, which allows you to easily travel from country to country, pet travel rules vary from country to country (rabies vaccination, tapeworm treatment, micro chipping, etc.).   Find out what forms the country requires, what vaccinations your pet must have, and any other restrictions the country places on pets.  This information can be found at the consulate or embassy of the country you are traveling to.

Visit your veterinarian before your trip.

Have a USDA certified Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service veterinarian give the vaccines and complete the health certificate. Have the health certificate endorsed by your state’s USDA Veterinary Services center. Include all necessary documentation like a signed certificate for the rabies vaccination and documentation of any lab work.

Make sure to travel with the country’s specific veterinary documentation before travel or your pet could be denied entry. Your pet could be sent home immediately on a departing flight, or placed in quarantine – at your expense – if they do not have the appropriate paperwork.

Plan ahead for international travel with your pet.

Recently Justin Bieber’s pet capuchin monkey, Mally, didn’t have the necessary documentation to enter Germany. Mally was confiscated by customs officials and is now being held in quarantine, fate undetermined. Make sure that doesn’t happen to your pet. Follow the pet immigration rules of the country where you and your pet will be traveling.

RushMyPassport.com offers expedited passports for adults and children. While an express passport for pets does not exist, there are websites that offer pet passports with the correct documentation forms and travel requirements for your specific destination country to help simplify the process.

If you are about to go on your honeymoon and are traveling internationally, what are your choices if your name is going to change? Well, here are a few options:

For those flying, your tickets need to match your passport. If this is your first time traveling internationally, you should be able to travel under your maiden name as long as your documents match. Simply visit a U.S. Post Office before your wedding and fill out an application. This will prevent you from paying additional fees. Remember, passport applications that are not expedited normally take at least 6 to 8 weeks to process, so make sure you leave enough time.

Americans traveling internationally that already had their name legally changed will definitely need a new passport. If you are limited in time, one expedited passport option is by using a U.S. passport service like RushMyPassport.com. This expedited passport service provides turnkey U.S. passports in as little as 24 hours at a very affordable price. Additionally they provide users with customer support to help in assisting with all aspects of the process.

Cruises are meant to be relaxing and fun. They are a great way to get away and spend time with loved ones. That didn’t work out so well recently for passengers of the Carnival Triumph. An engine fire turned their relaxing getaway into a living condition disaster with spoiled food and unworkable plumbing. What made the cruise even worse was that since it was a “closed loop voyage,” it wasn’t required for cruise passengers to bring their passports.

A “closed loop voyage” means the cruise ship begins and ends at the same U.S. Port, even if it makes stops outside the country. Carnival officials had initially planned to tow the ship to a Mexican port and let passengers fly home. Unfortunately though, 900 of them didn’t have passports which is required when flying into the U.S. If all the passengers had passports, an emergency like this may have been fixed a lot quicker. So if you decide to go on a cruise in the future, it is definitely recommended you make sure to bring your passport, just in case.

Is your U.S. passport expired? Did you lose your passport? Don’t worry; there are expedited U.S. passport services available like Rush My Passport that can help get your U.S. passport FAST. If you have a limited amount of time before your vacation trip (less the standard processing time of 4-6 weeks which it normally takes to get a U.S. passport), visit RushMyPassport.com and learn how to get a U.S. passport FAST. They can even help with getting your U.S. passport to you within 24 – 48 hours!

Sequestration Cancels Passport Day

Saturday, March 9th, was supposed to be the 5th annual “Passport Day in the USA,”…but this year, it will have to be put on hold as automatic budget cuts loom.

On Passport Day, Americans could turn in their passport applications at State Department passport agencies across the country on a Saturday without making an appointment. Normally, if you want to apply directly at one of the country’s 25 regional passport agency locations, you need an appointment and proof of travel within the next two weeks — and they are NEVER open on weekends. Luckily, for those who work weekdays and can’t take time off work, there are other options.

Other Ways to Get Your Passport

If you were planning to apply at a passport agency this Saturday, don’t panic. The agency offices won’t be open, but some smaller passport acceptance facilities like post offices and libraries were planning to celebrate Passport Day as well. Many of these local facilities plan to celebrate Passport Day as normal.

However, when you apply at an acceptance facility such as a post office, the soonest you should expect to receive your passport is in three weeks, and that’s if you pay an extra $60 to expedite your application. Passport applications that are not expedited normally take at least six to eight weeks to process.

Aside from private expediting companies like RushMyPassport, passport agencies are the only type of passport office that get your passport faster, and they won’t be open this Saturday.

RushMyPassport: The No-Hassle Way to Get a Fast Passport

If you’re in a hurry and don’t have a passport agency near you or just don’t want to go through the hassle of making an appointment, traveling out of your way and waiting in line, we can help!

With RushMyPassport, you get the quick turnaround time of a passport agency combined with the convenience of applying at a post office!

How is this possible? If you need to apply in person (passport renewals can often be handled entirely through the mail), go to the post office. Instead of letting them forward the application to you, have them “seal” your documents. Then, rush the documents to us — we’ll provide instructions and a shipping label. Once we have them, we personally deliver them to the Department of State for processing in as little as 24 hours!

Get your passport in as little time and with as little hassle as possible — apply with us today!

Will New Mexico residents need a US passport for domestic flights?  New Mexico residents are scurrying to get passports before the January 15, 2013 Real ID Act deadline.

After that date, there is a distinct possibility that New Mexico driver’s licenses will no longer be acceptable identification for domestic flights. Because New Mexico doesn’t require proof of citizenship to get a driver’s license, the state isn’t in compliance with the standards set forth in 2005′s Real ID Act. Since the law was passed, the Department of Homeland Security has periodically issued extensions to allow residents of states who don’t comply to continue to fly with just their driver’s licenses.

This year, nobody is sure whether they will do so or not. Governor Susana Martinez has been warning citizens that the day of reckoning is finally at hand, but others, like the ACLU, believe she is just using “scare tactics” to advance her political agenda. After all, New Mexico is not the only state that isn’t fully compliant. Louisiana residents are worried as well.

According to KOB Eyewitness News, the governor advises that  ”it is better to be prepared with a valid US passport to avoid any possible confusion,” and it’s hard to argue with that. Meanwhile, officials at Sunport told the station that

“Neither the Sunport nor local Transportation Security Administration officials have received any guidance from the Department of Homeland Security on how to deal with passengers who do not hold a Real ID compliant driver’s license after the implementation date.”

If you’re planning to fly in January, it may be worth it to bite the bullet and get a passport. Keep in mind that even if you order expedited processing through the post office, you should allow three weeks  for your new passport to arrive in the mail. Standard, un-expedited processing time is at least six weeks.

To get your passport more quickly, you can make an appointment at a regional passport agency. There’s not actually one in New Mexico, but there are locations in El Paso, Texas and in Tucson, Arizona.

A more convenient option for most people is to use an expediting company like RushMyPassport. We walk you through the application process, then hand-deliver your paperwork to the Department of State for the fastest possible processing. If you’re in a hurry to get your passport, contact us today!