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Passport Editorial

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Souvenir Passport Stamps? Make Sure to Have Extra Visa Pages
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The Berlin Wall has been down for almost 20 years. However, Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous border crossing between East and West Berlin, is still a major tourist attraction. And, for a fee, you can still get your passport stamped just as you would have if you crossed from East Berlin to West Berlin when the wall was still up. "Souvenir" passport stamps are also available from popular tourist destinations like Machu Picchu. Plus, tiny countries like Liechtenstein and San…

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Obtaining a US Passport Too Much Trouble For Canada Vacations?
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On June 1st, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative became law. The new laws require that Americans traveling to Canada by land or sea carry passports with them. Apparently, obtaining a passport is too much trouble for many Americans, as tour operators are reporting a shift towards domestic destinations. According to this article on Canada.com, motor coach tours to visit destinations in Canada are down by 30% over the past year. This is almost the same as…

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How To Care For Your New Passport
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So, you just got your new passport in the mail? How exciting! An adult passport is good for 10 years if cared for properly. To avoid having to apply for another passport before your renewal date, here are some tips on how to take care of your new passport and protect it from being lost, stolen or damaged. Invest in a passport case. A case will keep your passport from being bent or frayed in your pocket or purse. As…

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Is This the US Passport of the Future?
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Passports have changed a lot over the years. We recently wrote about a 400-year-old passport that a popular BBC show discovered in May. Back then, passports were letters written on parchment, signed by the king, that gave the bearer the right to travel the world on the king's behalf. Obviously, passports have evolved a great deal.  What will they look like in the future? Samsung thinks it knows. The company has developed a prototype electronic passport that uses a flexible…

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5 Reasons to Get an Express Passport and Visit Canada
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If you'd like to visit another country without going too far from home,  consider going to Canada this summer.  Canada is an exciting vacation destination, with enough different activities to appeal to almost anyone. Let's take a look at the top 5 reasons to visit Canada this summer: Fishing- Canada is an excellent destination for sport fishermen. This post on Destinations for Leisure highlights the best lakes to fish in Canada, especially for the delicious northern walleye pike. Golf: Canada…

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New Rule Makes Getting a Passport Easier For Same-Sex Couples
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A new change in the rules for getting a passport will make things easier for same-sex couples married in Massachusetts and other states that allow  same-sex  marriage. Under the new rules, same sex couples who change their names after marriage will be allowed to apply for a passport using their spouse's last name if they choose to change their names after marriage. Before this ruling, in order to have the same last name as their spouse, one spouse would have…

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A New Passport is Born
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Have you ever wondered how a new passport is made? In this video from the US State Department, the State Department Under  Secretary for Management Patrick F Kennedy describes the process of making  a new passport. The raw material used to make the outside of a passport book is actually produced overseas, because the State Department couldn't find an American firm to manufacture the radio frequency identification (RFID)  chips that are installed in all new passports.  However, according to the…

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Review of New Laws Requiring Passports For Travelers
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US Representative Gary Peters of Michigan has managed to get an amendment through the House of Representatives requiring the government to review the economic impact of the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The new rules, which became law on June 1st, 2009, require Americans to use passports or another special government-approved document to travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean by land and sea. Prior to June 1st, Michigan and Canadian citizens who wanted to cross the…

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