5 Reasons You Should Have a Passport

Do you have a passport? Only 30% of Americans have passports – the highest percentage in New Jersey (68.36%) and the lowest in Mississippi (19.86%).

Even if you don’t foresee a trip abroad in the near future, here are 5 reasons to go ahead and get your passport now:

1. If you lose your driver’s license you can use it as your primary photo ID. Plus it will make it a lot easier to get your license replaced.
2. It can take 4-6 weeks to get your passport processed. If you wait until the last minute, you might have to pay an additional expedited service fee which could be avoided altogether if you already had the travel document.
3. You can’t go to Canada, Mexico or any other country without one. If you browse travel deals and find a fabulous last-minute opportunity, you don’t want to be stopped by something you could already have.
4. A lot of cruises don’t require you to have a passport, but it’s beneficial to have one with you just in case.
5. Having a valid passport will help in the unfortunate case in which a friend or family member has an emergency abroad.

National Passport Day is coming up on Saturday, April 9. If you don’t already have your passport, it would be the perfect day to get one! Read details about it on travel.state.gov.

Photo Credit: C. G. P. Grey
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