A passport is required for passengers of any age to any destination when flying internationally. The name, gender, and date of birth on the airline ticket MUST MATCH 100% to the information on the passport. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Visa, Immunizations, and Other Requirements
Some destinations require that visitors obtain a visa for permission to enter their country, have particular immunizations, or meet other requirements. Some of these countries also have strict rules about what can be brought in or taken out of the country, and some even have restrictions on how much and what type of currency may be brought in.
To verify these requirements for U.S. citizens traveling abroad, go to the U.S. State Department. Navigate to the area for traveling internationally and select the country in question. Be sure to read the entry/exit, immunization, and visa requirements. It also provides information regarding safety, communication, currency, and transportation. It provides information regarding international travel and passports. There is also information about traveling abroad with children.
Airport and Customs / Immigration
When arriving at the airport for an international flight, nothing too special needs to be done. Security, checking in, etc., run just as they do for a domestic flight. Travelers will need to have their passports handy, though, as they will be checked before boarding.
Some airports have the customs and immigration checkpoint at the departure airport for the arrival country. For example, passengers entering the United States via Toronto International Airport in Canada go through U.S. customs in Canada! When this is the case, passengers arriving at that airport on their own (not via a layover) will need to allow three hours before departure instead of the usual two hours. This time will help to ensure that travelers have enough time to pass through customs and make their flight on time. These locations are called U.S. Preclearance, and a list of them is at https://www.cbp.gov/border-security/ports-entry/operations/preclearance.
Every international airport has a customs and immigration area for passengers arriving on flights from another country. Going through these areas can be a lengthy process at times. If a traveler has a layover in a foreign country, they may not be required to go through customs unless they leave the airport.
Flight plans and layovers are programmed to consider the amount of time required for a layover at every airport and whether customs is required. These are all legal connections with enough time based on the minimum standard so long as there are no flight delays, unusually long processing lines, etc.
Currency Recommendations
Travelers may purchase foreign currency at most local AAA offices, banks, or airports. Airports typically build a much higher fee into their exchange rates than other locations. You should purchase currency at least one week before picking it up at a AAA office as most of it is not kept on hand and will need to be shipped.
We advise having enough foreign currency on hand to cover expenses where cards may not be accepted, such as cabs, coffee, tips, etc.
For traveling with a credit card, we recommend that you contact the issuing bank in advance of your trip to advise you are traveling out of the country to help avoid a credit card freeze due to the unusual activity.
Always keep in mind the conversion rate does change daily. Credit cards will automatically charge the national conversion rate and may charge a fee for this process. The fee is usually a percentage of each transaction.