Passports
Passports are required for all ACIS trips traveling abroad. You are responsible for obtaining your own passport so please don’t delay! Visit your post office or a local office of the federal government for an application form. Note that some countries require that passports be valid for six months after you return to the United States. Please be sure that yours is up to date.
We recommend visiting the internet site: www.travel.state.gov/passport/index.html. This is a very informative site, with answers to many passport and visa questions. It also allows you to print an application form to obtain a passport.
Visas
No visas are required for U.S. citizens traveling to western or central Europe, Costa Rica or Mexico. Visas are required for U.S. citizens traveling to Africa, Australia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Egypt, Japan, Russia and Turkey.* ACIS will assist U.S. passport holders in obtaining visas for these countries. Your group leader will collect your group's passports and send them to ACIS for visa application processing approximately 120 days prior to departure. Visas are necessary for participants connecting through these countries, even if they are not the final destination.
* Visas may be required for other destinations. Please contact your group leader for more information.
Important Information for Non-U.S.Citizens
Non-U.S. citizens are responsible for obtaining all documents needed to enter the countries to be visited or connected through, and for reentry into the U.S.A. Please consult the consular offices of the countries on your itinerary, as well as the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, for complete information. Non-U.S. citizens denied boarding for the countries to be visited or connected through are only eligible for a refund if they have purchased the Ultimate Protection Plan and cancel prior to the trip's departure.
