Ensure Participants Have the Necessary Documents

 

Send a letter to parents with reminders about confirming documents and making payments.

Download Template

 

Passport Check

Does everyone have one?

  • Confirm that the name which appears online in each participant’s ACIS My Account is an exact match to their passport name, including middle name. Airline tickets will be booked accordingly and must match to avoid difficulties on departure day.
  • Is the expiration date of each participant’s passport at least 6 months past your trip’s return date? If not, encourage those participants to renew their passport to avoid any potential issues with entry into your destination.
  • Make a color copy of each passport and visa (if applicable) to keep in a safe place. This is needed if passports or visas are lost.

Visa Check

Does anyone need one?

  • No visas are required for U.S. citizens traveling to western or central Europe, Costa Rica or Mexico. Visas are required for U.S. citizens traveling to Australia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Egypt, Russia, Turkey and Vietnam.* Groups traveling to Australia are responsible for securing their own ETA Tourist Visa. For many of the other destinations, ACIS will assist U.S. passport holders to obtain necessary visas. The group leader will collect the group’s passports and send them to ACIS for visa application processing approximately 120 days prior to departure. Visas are necessary for participants connecting through these countries, even if they are not the final destination.
    *Visas may be required for other destinations. Please contact your group leader for more information.
  • Important Information for Non-U.S. Citizens: Non-U.S. citizens are responsible for obtaining all documents needed to enter the countries to be visited or connected through, and for reentry into the USA. Please consult the consular offices of the countries on the itinerary as well as the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services for complete information. If traveling to Canada on one of our ACIS Canada programs, non-U.S. citizens can consult cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas-all.asp for Canadian visa requirements. Should participants need a letter from ACIS to assist with the visa application, please have them contact us as soon as possible.