Passports & visas

It’s crucial that every traveler has their travel documents in order before tour. Please take time to review these items:

Passports

A passport is required for all EF Educational Tours. We recommend applying for a passport as soon as you enroll on a tour, as it can take up to eight weeks to process. U.S. citizens traveling abroad must bring a passport that is valid for at least six months after the tour’s return and has at least three blank pages.

Make sure that the first, middle and last name on your EF account matches your passport. We'll use this information when purchasing your flights, and airlines may not permit passengers to board if their ticket does not match their passport exactly. Name changes after 110 days prior to departure carry a minimum $200 fee up to the cost of a new ticket.

For some tour destinations, EF will need to compile a list of travelers’ passport details (including name, passport number, gender, expiration date, birth date and citizenship) in order to make travel arrangements. EF will contact travelers directly to collect this information. For all other groups, EF will contact travelers to confirm their name and birthdate for ticketing purposes. Group Leaders can log into their account to keep tabs on travelers’ passport information. 

In addition, we recommend that all Group Leaders collect a photocopy of each traveler’s passport to verify that it has been signed and to double check that the name on the passport exactly matches the name in our records.

For more information, please visit the U.S. government passport website or call Customer Service.

Visas

Depending on where you’re traveling or your citizenship, you may need a visa for your tour. Because visa applications must be personally completed by the applicant, all travelers must obtain their own visas, both for countries they are visiting and those they are passing through. We recommend using Visa Central, which gives a discount to EF travelers for visa processing. 

Some countries that require a visa from U.S. citizens are Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Ghana, India, Russia, Turkey and Vietnam. Please visit travel.state.gov for the most up-to-date requirements.

Requirements for non-U.S. citizens

All travelers are responsible for obtaining the necessary visas and/or travel documents for all countries on their tour. Once the tour itinerary is confirmed at approximately 70 days before departure, non-U.S. citizens should contact Visa Central, or the embassies or consulates of all countries they will be visiting and traveling through, to verify which documents are required.

Please note: This also includes those destinations in which you have only a layover or stop at the airport. Travelers should inquire at the embassies and/or consulates two weeks before departure to ensure that the information hasn’t changed. For instance, if you are flying to Madrid via Frankfurt, check with both the German and Spanish embassies.

For a list of embassies and consulates in the United States, visit state.gov.

The embassies and/or consulates of your destination countries may require that you submit documentation from EF verifying your travel plans. If so, please contact Customer Service at 800-665-5364 for a sample template.