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US ESTA Visa Requirements for French Nationals

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US online visa waiver requirements for French nationals could not be more straightforward. French travelers planning a trip to the United States of America are eligible to apply for a visa waiver through the US Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) .

France is one of the countries listed under the United States Visa Waiver Program (VWP), meaning its citizens can apply via the automated US ESTA system. Travel authorizations granted by ESTA are valid for 2 years (or until the passport expires) and for multiple entries to the United States of America.

To obtain a US ESTA authorization , French passport holders simply need to fill in and submit an online application form.

Applicants from France must also meet certain requirements to have their ESTA travel authorization for America approved.

Do I Need a Visa for the US from France?

French citizens who intend to visit the United States of America for tourism, transit, or business-related trips of up to 90 days are not required to obtain a visa.

Travelers from France can apply for a 2-year visa waiver under the US ESTA authorization instead. This is much quicker and easier to obtain than a visa. The application is done entirely online, making it much more convenient.

An approved ESTA authorization is valid for multiple entries into the United States by air, land or sea , allowing visitors to arrive in the US by all types of transport.

French citizens who wish to live in the US for work or study require a visa and should contact a United States embassy or consulate in their country of residence. Additionally, if a national of France wishes to remain in the United States for longer than 90 days , they are obligated to obtain a US visa instead of the ESTA.

French citizens who already have a valid visa for the United States are not required to apply for travel authorization through the US ESTA visa waiver system.

Is a US ESTA a Requirement for French Nationals?

If a French national plans to visit the US for up to 90 days for tourism, business, or transit , they are required to obtain an ESTA approval under the Visa Waiver Program.

If travelers from France have not received an ESTA approval for a visit to the United States of America, they may be prevented from boarding a plane or be turned away at a US port of entry.

Make sure you apply for an ESTA before traveling to the US from France.

US ESTA Visa Waiver Application for Citizens of France

The application process for the US ESTA visa waiver for citizens of France is easy to complete. Travelers are simply required to fill in the simple ESTA online application form with the following information:

• Details of a valid French passport
• Email address
• Home address and phone number
• Emergency contact number and email

It is also necessary to answer a few questions related to security and health matters . The responses will be checked by the US Department of Homeland Security in order to ascertain the traveler’s eligibility to enter the United States of America.

It is essential to make sure all the information given is correct and matches the details of the applicant’s passport. The vast majority of applications are approved, but occasionally an ESTA is denied. The most common reason for this is data being entered incorrectly on the application form.

Make sure you review and correct the information prior to submitting the application. Pay specific attention to the spelling of the names and reconfirm the passport number. If you make a mistake on your application, you will need to submit a new application.

Who needs an ESTA authorization?

Every traveler, including those from France, needs to have an ESTA authorization prior to entering the U.S. This includes children, whether accompanied by parents or unaccompanied regardless of age. Children are required to have their own ESTA authorizations prior to entering the U.S. from France.

Documents Required for US ESTA for French Citizens Applications

Documents required for French citizens to apply for a US ESTA include:

• Valid passport
• Debit or credit card to pay the ESTA visa waiver fee
• Current email address

Once approved, the ESTA travel authorization is electronically linked to the passport used during the application process, which the holder must present upon arrival to gain entry to the USA.

Be aware that if the French passport associated with the visa waiver expires within 2 years, the ESTA will also expire.

If the passport is lost, stolen, damaged, or rendered invalid, it is also necessary to apply for a new US ESTA with a new French passport.

When do I need to reapply for ESTA?

• If you have a new passport
• If you have changed your last or first name
• If you change your sex
• If you change your country of citizenship
• If any answers to previously submitted ESTA application change

How Will I Receive my US ESTA from France?

Once a US ESTA is approved, a confirmation email will be received within 2 business days  via the email address provided during the application process.

It is advisable to start the application process as soon as the trip to the US has been booked. Applicants should apply for their ESTA at least 72 hours prior to travel.

French citizens entering the United States of America with a visa waiver are not usually required to present a printed copy of the ESTA travel authorization.

It might be beneficial, however, to carry a printout in case it is requested at the border. Airline staff may also occasionally ask to see a printed copy before allowing French travelers to board a plane.

Application Steps

Country policy.

Familiarize yourself with the United States visa policy and discover the US visa requirements for your nationality.

This content has been reviewed by

Ekaterina Powell

Us immigration attorney.

Ekaterina Powell is a U.S. attorney licensed in the State of California, working in the area of U.S. immigration law for over 12 years . She has been featured as one of the top immigration lawyers in her state and city several times and has contributed to notable industry publications.

Visa requirements checker

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In today’s world, traveling has become an integral part of our lives. Be it for leisure or work, many of us find ourselves regularly on the move across borders. However, one integral aspect that you may overlook is the safety of your travel documents. Losing these critical papers can turn a dream holiday into a

Venturing abroad is an exciting experience, filled with new cultures to explore, foods to taste, and vistas to see. However, before immersing oneself in these novel experiences, one must navigate the labyrinthine process of obtaining a visa. While the general rule of thumb dictates that visa requirements ask you for a sober, straightforward exchange of

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Disclaimer Handyvisas.com is not owned by, or affiliated with any government agency. We are a private, online agency that provides assistance in submitting applications for tourist visits to different countries around the world. Applications can also be made directly through government websites.

Home > Consular Services > French passport > French Passport

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Applying for a passport - By appointment only

• By appointment only :please arrive on time to your scheduled appointment, latecomers will not be admitted.
• 1 appointment = 1 procedure = 1 passport and/or NIC (national identity card) = 1 person
• No accompanying person , except for minors or visitors with disabilities (1 accompanying person)
• All visitors must present themselves with a protective mask and their own pen.
• Chancery fees must be paid by credit card only .
• Priority is given to expired or soon-to-expire passports.
• Please make sure your application is complete. If not, you will have to make another appointment.

First of all

You must provide proof of your French nationality

Where to apply?

Regardless of where you live, you can apply for a passport in any city in France, or at any French consulate, as long as you are able to pick up your document from the site where you originally applied. In the United States, 9 Consulates general can receive your applications: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles , Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington. Please note that honorary consuls are not authorized to receive passport applications.

Documents required and appointments

Please choose from the following options:

• Adult (18 years and older)
• • First application for a French passport
• • Renewal due to French passport expiration
• • Renewal due to lack of blank pages / modification
• • Lost / stolen passport
• Minor (0 to 17 years old)

Last modified on 03/06/2022

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Passport of an adult: first application.

Verified 23 November 2022 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of the Interior

Login with the login and password of one of the following accounts: Impots.gouv, Ameli, Iidentitenumerique (post office), Mobileconnectetmoi.fr, MSA or Alicem

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

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What applies to you ?

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Step-by-step approach

1 Choose the place where you will make the process and, in general, make an appointment

The location of the application does not depend on your home. You can go to any town hall , provided that it is equipped with a recording station.

Who shall I contact

• City Hall issuing passports

Your presence is essential to take fingerprints.

Warning  

many city councils require that such a case be filed only by appointment .

L' ANTS : titleContent provides a search engine allowing you to find an appointment in a town hall equipped with:

Search for an appointment to apply for a passport

You can prepare the process by making a online pre-application But it's not an obligation.

Pre-application saves you time when filing the file.

Pre-application for a 1st passport application

2 Prepare documents for presentation

The documents have to be submitted originals .

General case

You have a valid id card.

• Your identity card
• Photo ID less than 6 months old and conforms to standards
• Proof of domicile
• If you have made the pre-application, number and/or QR code obtained (if you have not made a pre-application, you will have to fill in and sign the cardboard form that will be given to you at the counter)

You have an expired ID card

Expiry date: less than 5 years, expiry date: over 5 years.

• Check if the civil status of the place of birth is dematerialized . If not, you must provide a birth certificate (full copy or extract with filiation) of less than 3 months .
• Proof of French nationality if you are in a particular situation (e.g. foreign birth of parents born abroad)

You don't have an ID

It has been out of date for less than five years, it has been out of date for more than 5 years.

to use a username that is not already on an identity document, other documents must be provided depending on the nature of the second name: name of the spouse or other parent's name .

3 Buy the tax stamp on the internet

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

The passport costs €86 (in tax stamp).

You must buy the tax stamp online:

Online purchase of tax stamp - Passport

• If you provide the photo: €43 (in tax stamp)
• If the photo is taken at the counter (only in the absence of a professional photographer): €44.50 (in tax stamp)
• If you provide the photo: €86 (in tax stamp)
• If the photo is taken at the counter (only in the absence of a professional photographer):  €89 (in tax stamp)

4 Go to the location you chose to make the request

You must go to the place you have chosen with the supporting documents.

5 Monitor the progress of passport manufacturing

The passport is not made on site. It cannot therefore be issued immediately.

Manufacturing lead times depend on the location and time period of the application. For example, when summer holidays approach, the delays may be longer.

If you provided a mobile phone number on your application, you will receive a text message when the passport is available.

You can also follow your request on the website of the ANTS : titleContent  :

Track your passport application

6 Remove passport when available

The passport issued is a passport biometric .

It should be removed within 3 months . After this period, the passport is destroyed.

You must remove it personally at the place of filing and sign it on the spot.

The passport is valid 10 years .

1 Ask if you need to make an appointment

You have to move consulate or embassy .

• French Embassy or Consulate Abroad

the service may require that the file be filed only by appointment .

2 Prepare the documents to be provided and decide how to withdraw the passport

Documents to be provided, you have an expired card, deciding how to withdraw the passport.

In the majority of countries , you can request that the passport be sent to you by mail. But you have to be registered in the French foreigner register of the same country, have an email address and be able to transmit files via the Internet.

If you request the mail, you must provide at the time of filing, in addition to the necessary supporting documents, a postage-paid envelope purchased from the authorized service provider in the country. Inquiries should be made with the consulate to determine the authorized service provider, the size of the envelope to be provided and the postage required.

If you do not indicate anything at the time of filing, you will have to withdraw the passport instead of filing the file.

If you prefer to pick it up from a authorized honorary consul However, this must be indicated at the counter when the file is submitted.

In some countries , you can request that the passport be sent to you by mail. But you have to be registered in the French foreigner register of the same country, have an email address and be able to transmit files via the Internet.

In this case, at the time of submission of the file, in addition to the necessary supporting documents, a postage-paid envelope purchased from the authorized service provider in the country must be provided. Inquiries should be made with the consulate to determine the authorized service provider, the size of the envelope to be provided and the postage required.

3 Prepare to pay for your passport

The passport costs €96 .

You can pay in cash. Some consulates also accept payment by credit card, check or wire transfer. Consult the consulate's website to find out how to pay.

In Equatorial Guinea (Malabo post) and Mauritania (Nouakchott post), the photo is taken at the counter. The passport costs €99 .

4 Go to the consulate or embassy

You must go to the consulate or embassy with the necessary documents.

Manufacturing lead times depend on the location and time period of the application.

If you provided a mobile phone number on the application form, you will receive a text message when the passport is available.

You can follow the status of your application online:

6 Get the passport when it's ready

On the spot.

You must withdraw it personally at the place of filing or at a authorized honorary consul and sign it on the spot.

At the time of filing, if you have requested to receive the passport by mail, you will receive a notification email with a secret code.

As soon as you receive your passport, you must log in to the following online service to report that you have received your passport:

Acknowledge receipt of passport

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

If you have trouble doing the procedure on the internet

Statute and miscellaneous references

Decree No. 2005-1726 of 30 December 2005 on the passport: Article 5 - Documents to be provided for a first application

Decree n°2005-1726 of 30 December 2005 on the passport: article 6-1 - Prints and photo

General Tax Code: Articles 953 to 955

Passport price

General Tax Code: Article 1043 A - Amount in Guyana

Prices in Guyana

Decree No. 81-778 of 13 August 1981 fixing the tariff of fees to be collected in diplomatic and consular chancelleries and, in France, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Prices abroad

Order of 5 February 2009 on identity photos produced for a passport application

Decree No. 2005-1726 of 30 December 2005 on the passport: Article 10 - Withdrawal of the passport

Decree No. 2005-1726 of 30 December 2005 on the passport: Article 4 - Period of validity

Order of 27 April 2017 on the conditions for sending a passport abroad

Online services and forms

Search tools

Online service

What recourse do I have if my application is not successful?

Passport: How to buy a tax stamp?

How do I put the name of my husband or wife on my documents?

Additional topics

Passport of a minor: first application

Check if the civil status of your city of birth is dematerialized

National Securities Agency (NSA)

Honorary consuls authorized to hand over identity cards and passports

National Securities Agency

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France Passport Requirements: Do I Need a Passport to Go to France?

Kate H. Knapp

Travel Smarter! Sign up for our free newsletter.

Once you’ve decided to visit France, your mind is already in a small café on a cobblestoned street sipping a café au lait—but you need to get a few things in order before the rest of your body can join you.

According to France passport requirements, the expiration date on your passport must exceed your return travel date by at least three months. And, your passport must have at least one blank page for an entry stamp. Upon arrival, you may also be asked to provide an onward or return ticket, as well as evidence of funds to cover the cost of your time in the country.

France Passport Requirements

France passport requirements state that a valid U.S. passport is necessary to enter the country, and it must have one blank page for an entry stamp and three month’s validity beyond the departure date. Check these two things on your passport when you book your ticket to allow for plenty of time for a renewal, if needed. Upon arrival, you may also be asked to show an onward or return ticket and evidence of funds to cover the cost of your stay.

France (along with 25 other European countries) is a party to the Schengen Agreement , and, therefore, requires passports to be valid for at least three months (though six months is recommended) beyond your date of departure. You can travel between the countries within the Schengen area without having to show a passport, but will need to have one when returning home or crossing into another European country not part of the Schengen agreement.

Countries party to the Schengen agreement include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

How to Get a Passport Book for Travel to France

Apply for a passport as soon as international travel is confirmed. The cost will be greater if applying for a passport within two weeks of travel time, because you will need an expedited application. You can learn more about the requirements and documents needed to obtain a U.S. passport here .

What to Do if You Lose Your Passport in France

Take every precaution to keep your passport secure, such as carrying it in a hidden passport holder, keeping it locked in a safe, and emailing copies to yourself or a loved one before traveling.

If you do lose your passport, report the loss immediately to the U.S. Embassy Paris .

Other France Travel Requirements

Visa : No for U.S. citizens, up to 90 days

Vaccinations : No

So, Do I Need a Passport to Visit France?

In summary: Yes. France passport requirements state that you must have a U.S. passport that will remain valid for at least three months after your travel dates and contains at least one blank page for an entry stamp. You must also need to show proof of return or onward travel, along with sufficient funds for your trip.

More Information When Visiting France

The  U.S. Department of State  provides detailed information, including travel advisories and passport validity requirements, to your destination.

For information on how to apply or renew a passport,  visit  here .

France Tourism is a great resource for things to do and places to stay, as well as everything you need to know before you go when planning a trip to France.

Protect Your Passport

We recommend investing in a passport cover or wallet to protect your pages from bends, tears and spills. It’s important to keep your passport in good condition for easy inspection. 

On travel days, only take your passport out during inspection. Otherwise, keep it stowed away in a dedicated section of your bag (if you keep it in the same place every time, you won’t ever scramble to locate it). Once you arrive at your destination, find a way to stow it securely. In-room safes or safe deposit boxes at the hotel front desk are generally good options, but if neither is available, you’ll need to decide how to keep your passport secure. You might consider keeping it in an under-clothing money belt that you wear, or leaving it in the hotel or vacation rental but locking it in your suitcase with a TSA-approved lock .

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2017. It has been updated to reflect the most current information.

More from SmarterTravel:

• 5 Exotic Places Where You Don’t Need a Passport
• How to Renew a Passport, Global Entry, and TSA PreCheck—The Ultimate Guide
• How to Take Your Own Passport Photo

Dress Up Your Passport

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It Just Got Easier to Get a Passport for the First Time — Where to Go

The State Department has released more locations for Special Passport Acceptance Fairs for travelers to get a passport for the first time.

Mehroz Kapadia/Travel + Leisure

The U.S. Government is continuing to offer in-person help for travelers looking to get a passport for the first-time.  The State Department is expanding its Special Passport Acceptance Fairs to additional locations ahead of the summer travel season. Travelers looking to get a passport can head to one of the new spots between May 4 and June 26. The fairs — which take place at local libraries, community centers, or government offices — are designed to provide assistance for only first-time customers and children who are using the DS-11 form. Travelers that already have a passport and just need to renew should not attend one of these events and complete the renewal process by mail.  Travelers can visit the State Department’s website for the full list of events , and monitor for upcoming events, as the site is refreshed weekly. For travelers who have an urgent passport request, such as traveling within the next two weeks, the department offers appointments at 26 different passport agencies The current processing times for passports has dropped considerably after waves of delay after the pandemic. Expedited passports are processed within 2-3 weeks, and routine passports are processed between 6-8 weeks, according to the State Department. The agency provides a refund of the expedited fee if they do not honor their promised delivery time.  The Department first launched the passport fair program during July 2023, after the agency was impacted by significant, and record demand for passports. The agency says they were receiving over 500,000 passport applications a week during peak times. The cost for a new passport is currently $165 which includes the Application Fee and Execution or Acceptance Fee.  Here’s a full list of the events:

• May 4, 2024 - Plant City, FL - Hillsborough Clerk of the Court - Plant City Office
• May 4, 2024 - Tampa, FL - Hillsborough Clerk of the Court - Tampa Office
• May 4, 2024 - West Caldwell, NJ - West Caldwell Town Library
• May 4, 2024 - Dallas, TX - University of Texas at Dallas
• May 7, 2024 - Verona, NJ - Verona Town Hall
• May 7, 2024 - Woodcliff Lake, NJ - Woodcliff Lake Senior Center
• May 9, 2024 - Little Falls, NJ - Little Falls Municipal Building
• May 11, 2024 - Fairfield, NJ - Fairfield Recreation Center
• May 11, 2024 - Haskell, NJ - Passaic County Clerk's Satellite Office
• May 11, 2024 - Paterson, NJ - Passaic County Clerk's Office - Admin Bldg
• May 14, 2024 - Paterson, NJ - Passaic County Clerk's Office - Admin Bldg
• May 14, 2024 - Haskell, NJ - Passaic County Clerk's Satellite Office
• May 15, 2024 - Haledon, NJ - Haledon Municipal Building
• May 15, 2024 - West Caldwell, NJ - West Caldwell Town Library
• May 16, 2024 - Oradell, NJ - Borough Hall - Council Chambers
• May 17, 2024 - Nutley, NJ - Nutley Parks and Recreation Center
• May 18, 2024 - West Orange, NJ - West Orange Park and Ride
• May 21, 2024 - Verona, NJ - Verona Town Hall
• May 22, 2024 - Elmwood Park, NJ - Borough Hall
• May 23, 2024 - Clifton, NJ - Clifton Municipal Building
• May 23, 2024 - Woodland Park, NJ - Berekley College - Woodland Park Campus
• May 29, 2024 - Wayne, NJ - Wayne Township Municipal Building
• May 29, 2024 - Wyckoff, NJ - Wyckoff Town Hall
• June 5, 2024 - Somerville, NJ - Somerville Branch Library
• June 12, 2024 - Bridgewater, NJ - Bridgewater Branch Library
• June 26, 2024 - Bridgewater, NJ - Bridgewater Branch Library

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• Passports, travel and living abroad
• Travel abroad
• Foreign travel advice

Entry requirements

This advice reflects the UK government’s understanding of current rules for people travelling on a full ‘British citizen’ passport from the UK, for the most common types of travel.

The authorities in France set and enforce entry rules. If you’re not sure how these requirements apply to you, contact France’s Embassy in the UK .

Countries may restrict travel or bring in rules at short notice. Check with your travel company or airline for changes.

Visit TravelHealthPro (from the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre) for general COVID-19 advice for travellers .

Public spaces

You’re strongly recommended to wear a face mask in health settings. In some areas, people aged 6 and above may need to wear a face mask.

Passport validity requirements

If you are planning to travel to an EU country (except Ireland), or Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City, follow the Schengen area passport requirements .

Your passport must be:

• issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

Check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.

Contact the French Embassy in the UK if you think that your passport does not meet both these requirements. Renew your passport if you need to .

Passport stamping

At French border control, you may need to:

• show proof of where you intend to stay, for example, a hotel booking or proof of address if visiting your own property
• show proof of insurance for your trip – check FCDO’s travel insurance guidance
• show a return or onward ticket
• prove that you have enough money for your whole stay

Check your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area through France as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit.

You can show evidence of when and where you entered or exited the Schengen area, and ask the border guards to add this date and location in your passport. Examples of acceptable evidence include boarding passes and tickets.

If you live in France, read our Living in France guide for passport stamping information.

Proof of accommodation and funds

You may need to show proof of where you intend to stay. Read about documents you may need for short stays on the French government website . This will differ depending on where you are staying.

Staying with family, friends or a third party

You may be asked to provide an ‘attestation d’accueil’ (welcome invitation) from your host. The French resident hosting you must get the ‘attestation d’accueil’ from their local mayor’s office, and send the original ‘attestation’ before you enter France. Be prepared to show proof that you have at least €32.50 euros a day for the duration of your stay.

Second homes in France

You will need to be able to prove ownership or tenancy of your property, such as a tax or utility bill.

Staying in a hotel or other commercial accommodation

You may be asked for confirmation of your reservation when entering France. Be prepared to show proof that you have at least €65 euros a day for the duration of your stay.

Other circumstances

If you do not have an ‘attestation d’accueil’ (welcome invitation) or any pre-booked accommodation, you may be asked to prove you have at least €120 euros a day for the duration of your stay.

For more information on these requirements, visit the French government’s website on travel conditions for British citizens.

Visa requirements

You can travel to countries in the Schengen area, which France is part of, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel:

• as a tourist
• to visit family or friends
• to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events
• for short-term studies or training

If you are travelling to France and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.

To stay longer (to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons), you will need to meet the French government’s entry requirements. Check which type of visa you may need on the France Visas website .

If you are travelling to France for work , read the guidance on visas and permits.

If you stay in France with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit.

British citizens who cannot return to the UK before their visa, permit or visa-free limit expires should contact their local prefecture in France .

Vaccination requirements (other than COVID-19)

At least 8 weeks before your trip, check the vaccinations and vaccination certificates you may need on TravelHealthPro.

Customs rules

There are strict rules about goods that can be brought into and taken out of France. Check the French Directorate General of Customs and Excise website . Declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty.

Taking food and drink into the EU

You cannot take meat, milk or products containing them into EU countries. There are some exceptions for medical reasons, for example certain amounts of powdered infant milk, infant food, or pet food required for medical reasons. Check the rules about taking food and drink into the EU on the European Commission website.

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You asked: Do I need a passport for my cruise?

By The Way Concierge digs into the (surprisingly) complicated rules for travel by sea.

Traveling has always come with complications. Our By The Way Concierge column will take your travel dilemmas to the experts to help you navigate the unexpected. Want to see your question answered? Submit it here .

We’re going on a very short cruise from California to Mexico this spring. Do we need passports for our kids, even if we don’t get off the ship? — Ben, Springfield, Va.

There’s a difference between what you need and what is a good idea to have.

Let’s begin with the first: On most cruise lines and for most itineraries, a voyage that starts and ends at the same U.S. port and stays in the Western Hemisphere will not require any American citizen — child or adult — to have a passport.

These are called closed-loop cruises, and they only need proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate plus a government-issued photo ID, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection . For people under 16, a birth certificate will suffice. Popular cruise lines including Carnival , Royal Caribbean and Norwegian detail their requirements and any exceptions online.

A sailing that leaves from one U.S. port and ends at another — or starts in the United States and ends at a foreign destination — would not be classified as a closed-loop cruise. Everyone, including kids, would need a passport in that case.

There are some caveats, warns Teresa Tennant, senior vice president of the travel planning company Cruise Specialists . Some cruise companies, including Holland America Line and Princess Cruises , say that all members of a party must have a passport if minors are traveling with only one adult.

Some other cruise lines, such as the luxury Regent Seven Seas Cruises, require a passport for all sailings.

“It’s important to always check with the cruise line, because they can set their own rules that are actually above and beyond,” Tennant said.

Customs and Border Protection also urges travelers to check with their cruise company, travel agent and destination to confirm what’s required to enter foreign countries on an itinerary.

Whether or not you are required to have a passport, cruise lines and experts say it’s smart to have one before setting sail. The task isn’t quite as onerous as it used to be, now that wait times have returned to pre-pandemic norms of six to eight weeks for routine service and two to three weeks for the expedited process.

Cruise lines say they strongly recommend that passengers opt for the passport over other forms of identification.

“A passport is the hassle-free, gold standard for traveling between countries,” Royal Caribbean says on its website. “Boarding and disembarking through customs with a passport is usually faster than other types of ID documents.”

The U.S. State Department says travelers might need their passport “in the event of an unexpected medical evacuation or if the ship docks at an alternate port.” Travelers would also need their passports if they showed up late in a foreign port and the ship left without them — which has happened to some U.S. passengers recently.

“You should bring your passport even if your cruise says you won’t need it,” the State Department says on its information page for cruise ship passengers.

Colleen McDaniel, editor in chief of the news and review site Cruise Critic , said in an email that it would be much more difficult to get home without a passport if someone had to leave the ship.

“In such a case, you might have to rely on help from a U.S. embassy or consulate to return, which can take time,” she said.

Have a travel dilemma for By The Way Concierge? Send it to us here .

Brexit: travel rules between the UK and France

Inspiration

Reading time: 0 min Published on 11 January 2023, updated on 23 April 2024

On 1 January 2021 Brexit came into effect, re-establishing the borders between the UK and France. Here's the information you need to know before planning trips between the two countries.

Please consult our dedicated Covid-19 article for the latest updates on travel between the UK and France.

Following a transition period, Brexit came into effect on 1 January 2021 and the UK left the European Union. Free movement no longer applies between the UK and France, and migration controls have been re-established to and from the UK.

Travel arrangements

For British travellers to France:

Since 1 January 2021, British nationals have been subject to more in-depth checks when travelling. They are encouraged to allow additional time for border control and use the queue labelled 'Ressortissant de pays tiers' rather than 'EU / EEA / CH'.

British nationals who are not resident in an EU Member State and who wish to travel to France for a short stay (a maximum of 90 days in a 180-day period), or who are in transit to another Member State or to the Schengen area, do not require a visa.

Travellers need to:

• present their passport with at least six months' validity, which will be stamped upon entering and leaving the Schengen area. The maximum duration of a short stay cannot exceed 90 days within a period of 180 days;
• be able to prove that they have sufficient funds to meet their needs during their stay. With some exceptions, the minimum required in France is calculated as 65 euros per day. Examples of proof include cash or a bank statement;
• obtain travel insurance covering all medical, hospital and death expenses that could be incurred during their stay in France, including repatriation costs for medical reasons. Current EHIC cards will still be valid until their expiry date.

The supporting documents used to verify compliance with the entry conditions are listed in Annex I of the Schengen Borders Code, accessible here .

Further information on travel arrangements for British nationals to France is available on the French government website here and the UK government website here .

For international tourists wishing to visit both France and the UK on the same trip:

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can travel to the UK visa-free for holidays or short stays. A passport valid for the duration of the stay is required to enter UK territory. Until 1 October 2021, it is also possible to travel with a valid national ID card.

For nationals from outside the EU, a visa may be required to stay in the UK. Further information is available on the UK government website here .

Travellers from the UK to France are subject to customs control to comply with deductibles for purchases made in the UK, in quantity for alcohol and tobacco, and in value for other goods. The level of these exemptions is specified on the French Directorate General of Customs and Excise website here .

Purchases made in France may be eligible for tax relief - check here . PABLO machines, which automate this process, are available in ports, airports and train stations serving the UK.

Further information on customs procedures for UK travellers to France is available on the French government website here and the UK government website here .

Download the Brexit guide for travellers (French only)

Driving licences

British nationals travelling to France for a short stay can drive under their UK driving licence. An international driving licence is not required.

Travelling with pets

It is no longer possible to enter an EU territory with a European pet passport issued in the UK. British nationals travelling to France with dogs or cats must comply with the following health conditions defined by the regulation of 12 June 2013: - ensure that pets are identifiable by way of a microchip or clearly legible tattoo made before 3 July 2011; - ensure that pets have been vaccinated against rabies and that the vaccine is still valid; - ensure that each pet has a health certificate issued by a registered UK vet. The certificate must be accompanied by proof of vaccination against rabies as well as a document attesting to the pet's ID. Certificates are valid for a period of 10 days from the date of issue and must be presented during border checks during this period. They remain valid in EU territories and Northern Ireland for a period of four months.

EU or Northern Irish nationals returning from a temporary stay in the UK and transporting dogs or cats to France must be in possession of a European pet passport. The passport must certify a valid anti-rabies vaccination and must be presented at border control.

On arrival in France, travellers with pets will need to enter through a designated travellers’ point of entry (TPE).

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Why Traveling Around Africa Is Difficult for Africans

I was scrolling on social media when a post caught my eye. Green Ranger Safaris , a travel company I'd never heard of, was organizing a road trip through seven African countries. This trip would start in Nairobi, Kenya, then head down into Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Botswana. The pricing was reasonable, so I paid a deposit, brushing aside concerns about both spending weeks on end with a group of strangers and the slight chance that the trip might have been an excellently worded scam.

A few months later, in August, I was on a truck with those strangers. It was late in the evening, and we swept through the Kalahari Desert in northern Botswana, the sun in the sky a flaming orb, the only visible life on the sand of the desert being the shrubs, the wild horses, and the herds of elephants. Music swirled from the truck's speakers, a mishmash of popular Kenyan songs from the turn of the century and Nigerian megahits. The countries we were traveling to had been chosen mostly because they were all English-speaking and provided visa-free travel to Kenyans, so the border crossings were simple, with clearances for the trucks, stamps for our passports and, in Botswana, disinfectant for our shoes.

Talk among the passengers was already turning toward doing similar trips in other parts of Africa. One suggested starting in Namibia, sweeping down along the coast into South Africa, moving through the megacities there, then traveling to Lesotho and Eswatini before entering Mozambique. Another pitched a West Africa trip. It all sounded exciting. Everything was possible. But then another passenger brought up Niger, where a coup had just led to the country's closure of its borders. What would happen if a person took a West Africa road trip and then there was a coup? Would the passenger have to stay there and never go home? We laughed at the absurdity. But behind the laughter was real heartache. Because the reality is that any African traveler has thought about the difficulty of traveling as an African.

My mother was a traveler, and when she traveled for work, my brothers and I would travel in Kenya with her. Then, when I was older, the expanse of my travel grew larger: First I traveled around Kenya, then around East Africa. Now I have a desire to explore the continent, to explore versions of myself in other countries in Africa, home to some of the most humbling and impressive landscapes and vistas in the world: to the largest freestanding mountain on earth (Kilimanjaro); to the largest hot desert in the world (Sahara); to thundering waterfalls twice as wide and deep as Niagara (Victoria); to sparkling white-sand beaches; to UNESCO-listed nature reserves; to cities whose histories stretch back through millennia; and to award-winning wine regions. But I find myself marooned before the bank of difficulties other African travelers face.

A few months after my Green Ranger trip, I spoke to Anneli Douglas, an academic at the University of Pretoria in South Africa who has studied travel in Africa. She pointed out how much easier it is for Western visitors to get visas for Africa than it is for African travelers to visit their countries. "Sometimes, travelers have to travel long distances to apply for a visa, or there might not even be representation of the destination country in the home country, making it difficult to obtain a visa at all," she says. "Also, for Western countries, the cost to obtain a visa to Africa is much cheaper than what it is for Africans-considering the value of the local currency."

In places like Kenya, African destinations are rarely marketed to would-be travelers. Instead, there is a surfeit of packages offering holiday trips in destinations like Dubai, Bangkok, and Istanbul, because it is not only easier but also often cheaper to organize trips to these places than it is to organize trips within the continent. Even when visas are relatively easily attainable, travel from one African country to another is rife with difficulties. Sam Maundu, a Nairobi-based tour operator who runs Rosolo Safaris , which organizes trips around Africa, had no shortage of factors ready when I asked what these difficulties are: "Language barriers, visa restrictions, expensive flights, African destinations not targeting Africans to visit, long distances to be covered either by road or by flight since there are often no direct flights, security situations in some places, perception that there is nothing to see in other African countries, harassment by border officials."

One of the lingering effects of colonialism on the continent is that interaction between African countries tends to exist along mostly colonial lines: There are the former Portuguese colonies, the former British colonies, the former French colonies. Passport holders from Kenya, which was colonized by Britain, are mostly able to go to former British colonies visa-free or with visa-on-arrival status. This means that for a person planning a trip, it becomes easier to think of traveling to these countries. On our multiple-country road trip, the travelers were mostly holders of Kenyan and Ugandan passports (Uganda, another former British colony), and so the countries that the trucks went to were all-except for Namibia-former vestiges of the British Empire. This shared history meant also that because all these countries have English as an official language, it would be relatively easy for us travelers to communicate with people there.

Samuel Agblorti is a lecturer at the Centre for Mixed Migration and Diaspora Studies of the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. I ask him about about a hypothetical trip from Cameroon to Senegal, across a region where multiple coups have happened in recent years. Safety concerns rising from these events had further entrenched visa restrictions across Africa. "Because our borders aren't very well protected, there is a fear that allowing too many visitors will make it unsafe," Agblorti tells me. But even getting those visitors has been a problem.

In 2016, the African Union announced plans for an AU passport to be rolled out by 2020. This passport would open travel across the continent, as more African citizens wouldn't need visas to travel to other African countries. However, more than seven years later, the passport hasn't been launched, stymied by a mixture of security concerns and protectionist attitudes among African states. (The AU remains silent on when and if the passport will be launched.) Still, Agblorti says such a passport would not necessarily be the panacea that its supporters think it would be as it wouldn't automatically lead to visa-free travel without individual states implementing it. He gave the example of regional blocs such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), whose membership comprises 15 West African states whose citizens hold ECOWAS passports. "Even within ECOWAS, there are protocols that member countries are supposed to adhere to, but some of them don't," he says. "You may have a common passport, but if the countries don't make extra commitments, then it doesn't matter."

Thus far, only a handful of African countries have committed to allowing African visitors to visit without a visa: Gambia, Benin, and Seychelles; Rwanda has announced plans to implement this. On a small scale, then, African visitors to these countries will experience the promise of the AU passport-if it does indeed come to fruition.

Most recently, in December 2023, rather than introduce the visa-free status its president had promised , Kenya announced that it would require an electronic travel authorization (ETA) , to increase revenue from visitors seeking to enter Kenya. Visa-free entry was scrapped for all but five other East African countries, and new travel requirements and fees were introduced for countries whose citizens had previously enjoyed visa-free travel into Kenya. To some, the doors of entry-rather than being flung open-were being closed even tighter.

Another issue is how expensive it is to travel in Africa. According to a 2013 World Bank report , airfare within Africa is roughly 50 percent more expensive than airfare in comparable locations worldwide. Flights from one African country to the other tend to be much more expensive than flights from Africa to Europe and Asia, despite logic that the shorter the distance, the cheaper the flight ought to be. This means, in effect, that a traveler from Kampala, Uganda, would find it more affordable, and therefore more attractive, to fly to Dubai than to Maputo, Mozambique, despite the latter being much closer than the UAE.

Tour operator Maundu told me that this makes it difficult for him to suggest to his clients travel packages that involve other African destinations: Often, it means the cost of the round-trip air tickets more than doubles the cost of the entire travel package. And there aren't always reliable road or rail options that offer alternative transport to travelers. Most leisure travelers can't move directly by rail from Kenya to South Africa (there is a luxury train network between Tanzania and South Africa that costs $19,000), while in most other regions of the continent, not only are there no multicountry rail options, but also existing bus networks rely on terrible roads.

The irregularity or non-availability of intra-regional air connections and of internal air transport also constrains access to internal destinations and prevents progress with multicountry tourism packages, Maundu says. Also, tax rates per passenger in Africa are more expensive than they are on other continents: The total tax per passenger is about $64, compared to $30.23 in Europe and $29.65 in the Middle East. This is exacerbated by the lack of a single unified aviation market, whose absence means that fares and tax rates swing with volatility across different parts of the continent.

Rather than negotiate with one central body, airlines operating in Africa deal with individual countries, which each usually have different rates and requirements for entry. In Europe, for instance, the establishment of the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) in 2006 decreased airfares across Europe by making possible the rise of a fleet of low-cost airlines, and at the same time increased the volume of flights within European airports. In this vein, there have been attempts to establish a single aviation market in Africa. The most recent of these attempts is the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM). Announced in 2018 , the SAATM so far has signed on 34 countries. However, like the AU passport before it, the SAATM has not been implemented, and so it remains nothing but an idea.

In the meantime, African travelers continue to dream. Travel plans continue to be made. Potential destinations continue to be talked about. At the end of our seven-country road trip, as we headed back to Kenya, we spoke again about organizing future trips together, our group of strangers now bonded as friends. Some people discussed taking a trip to Uganda over the next month. Others talked about heading across the Indian Ocean to Mauritius. In Lusaka, Zambia, where the first batch of travelers would leave us to fly back to Nairobi, weepy goodbyes were made. "We are family," one of them said.