As of January, all U.S. citizens—including kids—traveling by air outside the country or its territories are required to carry a passport (Canada or Turks and Caicos? Pack it. Puerto Rico or St. John? Leave it at home).
Look for land- and sea-travel regulations to follow suit by the beginning of next year. Passport applications require two photos, proof of citizenship, and valid ID, and processing takes 6 to 8 weeks. Documents issued for kids 15 and younger last just five years; those for everyone else expire after 10 years.
For the full scoop, visit travel.state.gov.
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