Paperwork: travel's bureaucracy

Get your travel documents together

Dig out your passport. Make sure it is valid for 6 months past the date of your scheduled return home. Many countries will only allow you to enter if your passport is valid for 6 months or more from that date. If your return journey routes you through different countries or your schedule gets changed, you may just need that eligibility right up to the bitter end. In Canada, a passport is valid for 5 years and costs C$60. Pick up an application form from your local post office and be prepared to submit the required fee, two head shot photos of specified size, signed by a guarantor (a Canadian citizen residing in Canada who has known you 2 or more years and belongs to a certain set of professional designations), your original birth certificate, your original marriage certificate if your last name has changed, and a completed passport application form. If you live in a city in Canada that has a passport office, you are requested to apply in person, if not, your application should be mailed to the central passport office in Ottawa. Your original documents will be returned to you with your new passport. For further information, check out www.ppt.gc.ca and follow the Passport Office link.

Next, look in to the eligibility that your passport brings for entering each foreign country you plan to visit. Depending on the nationality of your passport, countries may either deny you entry, require that you have an entry visa or allow you to visit visa-free for given maximum time periods. Study all the entry requirements of each country and be prepared to meet them - some countries require other documentation before entering, such as proof of funds. A good source of info is Canada's government site www.voyage.gc.ca. Follow the Country Travel Reports link and click on your destination countries. The reports include information on entry legalities for that country as well as web sites and addresses for those countries' consulates.

If you need visas for any countries you will be visiting, find out whether you can get the visa ahead of time from your home country, upon entry, or in a timely and secure manner in a neighbouring country before entry. Different methods of acquiring visas have different pros and cons. Arranging for your visa before you leave your home country can bring piece of mind for your travel plans through a secure process. One disadvantage is that having to send away for visas from different embassies that may be in cities other than your own can be time consuming. Each will require that you send your passport to them which means that you can only arrange for one visa at a time. Additional costs for courier or registered mail may be incurred. Another drawback is that visas have expiration dates and you may have to specify when you will be entering and leaving a country, you may even have to specify exact entry and exit points. This can put a cramp in your style, limiting your flexibility in making up your schedule as you go.

Arranging for your visa from a neighbouring country when you know if and when you need it can be handy. However, consider carefully the risk of parting with your passport in a foreign country. Find out how long you will be without your passport - the less time the better. Without your passport, you are without your key piece of identification and may have trouble changing money, signing in to places of accommodation, renting vehicles and equipment, and generally moving around. You will certainly have to stay in the country, and any unanticipated delays in getting your visa (and your passport back!) may mess up any transportation (or other) plans you have made. It's best if you can arrange for visas from your destination countries' consulate in person, but if you need to use an agent (if you are nowhere near the consulate), make sure you find one you can trust, preferably with a recommendation from another traveller who has used the agent's service. Passports of certain nationalities, and particularly those with valid working visas for developed countries, are hot commodities on the black market. You may be parting with your passport indefinitely. You will likely also incur additional agent fees.

Getting your visa upon entry at the border or at an airport may be the easiest route if allowable, but may involve standing in a very long queue at the immigration counter. Be ready with passport, money and two cheap fun-booth photos in hand. All methods should be similar in price unless you employ some type of third party - visas usually cost between C$30 and C$100 each depending on where you are going. Check with your travel agent, guidebook and local embassies (surf the web for contact info or link to Country Travel Reports through www.voyage.gc.ca). Oh, and bargain for delays.

Pick up a student card

Next, if you are eligible, you might want to pick up an ISIC card - the most common, internationally recognized student identification card. Full-time students currently studying at recognized institutions will need this to secure student fares on flights where applicable. If you don't need a student card for your airfare, find out if there are student discounts to be had while travelling in your destination. Such discounts abound in Europe but not so much so in Asia, for example. Use your guidebook to research your destination to see if it is worth getting the card. Another card out there is the GO 25 card for youth 25 years or younger. Again, check into discount possibilities. Be prepared to prove your eligibility and drop a little bit of cash when obtaining your card.

Invest in a Hostelling International Membership

If your destination boasts an abundant network of Hostelling International (International Youth Hostel Federation) recognized youth hostels you will want to invest in a Hostelling International membership. The cost is nominal for a one year membership card, and the member facilities are generally reliable, economical, safe, clean and of good value for the independent traveller. Your membership card will likely gain you a discount at member hostels, and may even be necessary to get you in the door. Some hostels give priority to younger travellers too, so a GO 25 card might help. Check out Accommodation for more info on youth hostels and other accommodation options.

Get your International Driver's Permit

If you plan to be away for a long time or anticipate driving overseas, obtain an International Driver's Permit. The fee is nominal and the licence must be used in conjunction with your regular driver's licence from home.

The IDP allows motorists to drive vehicles without further tests or applications in all of the countries that signed the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic. In addition, many other countries that are not signatories of the Convention recognise the IDP and accept it in their territories. The IDP provides the holder with an extra photo ID, and provides translation of your valid home countries' driver's licence since the IDP is printed in 10 languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, German, Arabic, Italian, Scandinavian and Portuguese.) Most Car Rental agencies will request an IDP even though one may not required to drive in their country.

In Canada, you can obtain an application for an IDP by contacting your local CAA office to pick-up or have an application mailed to you, or by printing the application from CAA's web site, www.caa.ca (follow the International Documentation link under Travel Services, on the national version of the site). Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and possess a valid Canadian provincial driver's licence. You will need to submit two passport size photographs and a fee payment of C$13. For further information, check out the web site or contact International Documentation Services at CAA's National office (613) 247-0117 ext. 2025.

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