OFFICIAL US RESOURCES FOR TRAVEL ABROAD (HEALTH & SAFETY, PASSPORTS)

ANNOUNCEMENT

New Fees for U.S. Passport and Passport Card
DOS published an interim final rule revising the schedule of fees for consular services. As of February 1, 2008, the fee for initial Passport Books will be $100 (increase of $3) and the fee for renewal Passport Books will be $75 (increase of $8). The fee for initial Passport cards (only good for land and sea travel between the U.S. and Mexico, Canada, Bermuda & the Caribbean) will be $45 for adult cards and $35 for children. For adults who already have a passport book, they may apply for the card as a passport renewal and pay only $20.

US State Department Travel Advisories

Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/warnings_consular.html
Essential starting place for US citizens for travel risk assessments (crime, travel safety, health, etc.) provided by the US government. See also Categories of Travel Advisories, travel.state.gov/travel/warnings.html for explanation of Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets and Public Announcements.

US Department of State Travel Home Page (Bureau of Consular Affairs)

Website: http://travel.state.gov/
Essential help from the US government, for everything from travel safety advisories to crisis assistance for US citizens abroad, as well as contact information for all US embassies and consulates abroad. Also lists foreign embassies and consulates in the US. Frequently-consulted parts of this very comprehensive web site include the following.

US State Department Travel Advisories mailing list (a listserv mailing list)

Free to subscribe. Email listserv@lists.state.gov and type in the message body "SUBSCRIBE DOSTRAVEL YOURNAME" (omit the quotation marks and leave subject blank). Or use the online subscription form at www.state.gov/www/listservs_cms.html. This essential email announcement list sends US Department of State travel advisories to your email inbox as they are announced.

Centers for Disease Control, CDC Travel Information

Website: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/index.htm

Official US government information about health conditions worldwide, including recommendations for immunizations and locations of travel clinics.

US Customs Office, Traveler Information

Website: http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/travel/
Information on customs restrictions and duty fees on items brought into the US by travelers, including the publication Know Before You Go.

CIA, The World Factbook

Website: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
Provides detailed profiles of all countries of the world.

Study Abroad Student Handbook

Website: http://www.lmu.edu/globaled/rfsa/
Links you to a variety of web sites with information about programs abroad, travel and tourist information, health and safety tips, and financial tools to help you to study abroad.