Information for Americans Traveling Abroad

My staff and I can assist you with questions regarding traveling abroad. If you have encountered problems while traveling abroad, or have questions, we may be able to help you. Because of laws to protect your privacy, you will need to fill out a signed Constituent Services Form (PDF or Word, Download Adobe Acrobat Reader) and send it with the explanation of the problem you are having to my nearest district office.

You've got your passport and you're ready to go on your trip, right? Not quite. You still have to check with the country or countries you'll be visiting to determine whether or not you'll need a visa. A visa is permission from a country to cross their borders and comes in the form of a stamp in your U.S. Passport. You usually have to mail your passport to the Embassy or Consulate of the country you'll be visiting, so allow plenty of time to accomplish this.

Visit the Information for Americans Abroad section of the Overseas Citizens Services (OCS) in the U.S. Department of State. OCS and our embassies and consulates abroad are charged with providing consular protection and services to United States citizens abroad.

Also, check the State Department Web site for travel warnings and consular information sheets that provide very helpful information about the country you plan on visiting. The State Department Web site also contains very comprehensive information on all the services it provides both stateside and abroad. This includes crisis assistance for U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad, and various travel publications available on-line.