Expedited Passports

This year, the Winter Olympics are being held in Vancouver, Canada. The games run from February 12th to February 28th, and since they are relatively close to us this year, a lot of Americans are expected to attend. If you’re one of them, make sure you are up to speed on the latest requirements for crossing the US/Canadian border.

Last year, those requirements changed. Previously, you could have driven across to Canada to see the Winter Olympics with just a driver’s license or other state-issued ph0to ID and a copy of your birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

However, now that the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is in effect, you may need a passport quick if you want to attend.  To get across the border by land or sea, you will need one of the following documents:

• A passport
• A passport card
• An enhanced driver’s license (only certain states offer this)
• A NEXUS, SENTRI  or FAST card (NEXUS and SENTRI are “trusted traveler” programs for frequent travelers, and FAST is a program for commercial drivers).

If you are flying to Vancouver, you must have a passport book (not a passport card) to board the plane.

To try to minimize problems, according to USA Today, the Department of Homeland Security has launched a $2 million ad campaign to help educate people about the new requirements.

If you don’t have a passport, you’ll need to get one in a hurry- the Winter Olympics are only a month away.

At this point, the easiest way to be sure you’ll get your passport quick enough is to use a private passport expediting company. The State Department’s expedited service takes 2-3 weeks, which is cutting it awfully close.

RushMyPassport can help you get your passport more quickly, in anywhere from a little over a week to 24 hours, depending on the processing option you choose.

Don’t miss the Winter Olympics: Let us help you get a passport, quick!