Passports tips

Croatia will be joining the Schengen area in the new year. Starting January 1, travelers will be able to move passport-free between Croatia and the 26 member countries that make up the Schengen area.

Japan, Singapore, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain have the world’s most powerful passports, allowing visa-free entry to 194 countries out of 227. That’s according to the 2024 Henley Passport Index rankings released on Wednesday. 

Passport processing times have returned to pre-pandemic levels, the State Department said Monday — it now takes just six to eight weeks for a passport, or two to three weeks for an expedited one. 

Chinese travelers cite financial constraints over the last three years as the leading reason for not wanting to travel abroad even as China decided to end its zero-Covid policy by easing travel restrictions, according to a report.

Mexicans applying for a passport can now avoid having to check the box for male or female in a new travel document policy announced on Wednesday and hailed by the country’s top diplomat as historic progress for those who identify as non-binary.

The citizenship-by-investment industry is in crisis.

Royal Caribbean already operates the world’s largest cruise ship—Wonder of the Seas—but next January it will break that record with Icon of the Seas, which boasts 2,805 staterooms (including more than 1,800 with balconies) and 179 suites. Nearly 1,200 feet long, Icon of the Seas has 20 decks and features a 55-foot-waterfall, multiple pools and waterparks and a “chill island” and a “thrill island”—depending on a passenger’s vibe.

Not everyone believes that taxes are as inevitable as death. In addition to the I-won’t-pay crowd, there’s the I-can’t-pay contingent, and the I-forgot-to-pay group. Whatever their reasons, they’re all considered delinquent taxpayers by the IRS. And that delinquency can now jeopardize their ability to fly.

Need to renew your passport for a summer trip? It may already be too late. The US State Department recently revealed that it is currently facing “unprecedented demand” for passports as post-pandemic travel returns.

Amid a surge of new passport applications, the United States Department of State is taking a summer road trip of sorts across America to help travelers complete their application process.  The “Special Passport Acceptance Fairs” will be held at public libraries, recreation centers, and local city administrative offices. A majority of the events are in California and New Jersey, but several others are taking place in Alabama, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin. New events are added weekly, and the full schedule is available in the U.S. Department of State’s website.