Customs + Immigration

Customs and immigration are among the most daunting aspects of overseas travel. It can sometimes feel like a bureaucratic nightmare, whether you are trying to parse another travel country's requirements on an outdated website or are waiting with your visa application at a consulate.Let Travel + Leisure walk you through the process, from where you get your passport photo taken and printed to what souvenirs you can bring home with you to the United States. (We're sorry to report that the answer is most definitely not cheese, no matter how good it tastes.) With T+L, you'll discover it's easier than ever to update your passport, submit your visa application, and get ready to travel. T+L's features on customs and immigration will answer all of your burning questions — yes, even the obvious ones.Here, travelers can find out precisely how long they can stay in another country without a visa (in Europe, 90 days) and determine whether or not they need to pack a passport (usually yes, even to Canada and Mexico).Ever wondered if U.S. citizens need a visa to visit Vietnam? (Yes.) Or what the penalty is for overstaying your tourist visa in Thailand? (A hefty fine and often jail time.)We also provide regular news coverage on topics that impact travelers, like the ever-shifting policy on travel to Cuba.For readers who procrastinate, or love to plan last-minute getaways, we have detailed information about getting under-the-wire passport renewals. And for frequent fliers, there are in-depth how-to guides to speeding up customs and immigration processes (try applying for a NEXUS Pass if you head to Canada often, or Global Entry if you're always traveling overseas). In 2015, the United Nations World Tourism Organized announced the lowest-ever visa requirements for global travel: 39 percent of travelers around the world were able to do visit a foreign country without visas. In 2008, that statistic was only 23 percent.Meanwhile, in 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court debated the legality of the Trump administration's travel ban and the European Commission debated dissolving passport-free travel within the 26 Schengen states. In a rapidly changing global climate, stay on top of the latest news with T+L.