Tips for International Travel

Planning ahead can help you avoid unnecessary delays or problems at check-in, and upon entry to foreign countries. To confirm the travel documents you will need for your destinations/transit points and to review special international travel information, please refer to the links provided below.

When planning international travel, please ensure that you are in possession of all required documents for both outbound and return flights. Acquiring official travel documents is time-consuming; allow sufficient time to do this well in advance of your travel plans. On October 1, 2007, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security put into effect the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) which requires ALL airline passengers on an international flight to hold a valid WHTI-compliant travel document (in addition to any other required documentation) to enter or depart the United States by air (WHTI ). A WHTI-compliant travel document is any one of the following: a passport, a U.S. permanent resident card, a Refugee or Stateless travel document, a U.S. Re-Entry Permit, NEXUS card, U.S. Merchant Mariner Card, U.S. Military ID with orders, or an emergency travel document issued by an embassy or consulate.

The onus is on each passenger to ensure he or she has the proper documents for international travel. Northwest will not be responsible for insuring that passengers have the appropriate documentation to depart/enter/transit a country nor will Northwest be responsible for any refunds or associated costs should a passenger be denied entry at a country of transit or destination.

As documentation and entry requirements vary based upon the countries included in your travel, we highly recommend that you check the entry requirements for each country at the Required Travel Documents link. Many countries also require that your passport be valid at least 6 months or longer beyond the final date of your trip. If your passport does not meet the validity date requirements, you will need to apply for a new one. 

Your passport or travel document must be in good condition. You may be denied boarding if there is damage beyond normal wear and tear or if there is evidence of intentional tampering or alteration.

> Required Travel Documentation

• Passport, Visa & Health Requirements

> Advanced Passenger Information

• U.S. Aviation and Transportation Security Act

> US Entry/Exit Requirements For Non-US Citizens

• New U.S.-VISIT Program, Department of Homeland Security
• Machine Readable Passport Requirements for Travelers to the U.S.
• Countries Eligible for U.S. Visa Waiver Program

> Department of Homeland Security Introduces Electronic System for Travel Authorization
(ESTA) for Visa Waiver Program Travelers

> New Immigration Procedures for Entry to Japan

• Effective November 20, 2007 for all foreign nationals who apply for entry into Japan, including overnight transit passengers and airline crew members.

> International Travel with Minors (including Canada & Mexico)

OTHER USEFUL LINKS

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Advanced Passenger Information (API)
To enhance border security, electronic transmission of passenger information through the Advanced Passenger Information (API) system has been mandated with the U.S. Aviation and Transportation Security Act. All passengers entering/departing the U.S. by air are required to have this information transmitted to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), allowing U.S. CBP to review all passenger data in advance of the flight's arrival. All international flights arriving and departing the U.S. are required by law to provide API data. API data is also transmitted to Customs and Immigration Officials in all other countries when required by law.

US Entry/Exit Requirements For Non-US Citizens
As of October 1, 2004, all travelers to the U.S. not in possession of a U.S. passport or U.S. permanent resident card (Green Card) are required to participate in the US-VISIT program. Most Canadian visitors are exempt from this requirement. The US-VISIT program collects biometric identifiers (an inkless fingerprint scan and a digital photograph) from the visitor upon arrival and departure from the U.S. The US-VISIT procedures are expected to add only a short time to the Entry and Exit process. Together with standard passport and itinerary information gathered from passengers, the new program will verify the visitor's identity and compliance with U.S. visa and immigration policies.

The US-VISIT Entry program was implemented in 2004 as part of the immigration process upon arrival in the U.S. Effective May 6, 2007, international travelers are no longer required to checkout at a US-VISIT Exit kiosk. All other exit procedures remain the same. International passengers who received a CBP Form I-94 (arrival/departure record upon arrival) must still return it to an airline representative when departing the US.

For further information, please visit: http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/interapp/content_multi_image/content_multi_image_0006.xml

Machine-readable and Biometric passport requirements for travelers to the U.S.

Effective June 26, 2005 - All visa-waiver nationals need a machine-readable passport (MRP) to enter the U.S. Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries arriving in the U.S. without a machine-readable passport will need to obtain a U.S. visa before commencing their trip. Visa and machine-readable passport requirements apply equally whether transiting or visiting the U.S. If you plan to make an incidental trip to Canada, Mexico or the adjacent islands as part of your trip to the U.S., once you leave the U.S. you may not be allowed to reenter without a machine-readable passport. Citizens of all Visa Waiver Program countries who have a machine-readable passport are allowed to visit the U.S. for general business or tourist purposes for a maximum of 90 days.

Machine-readable passports contain standardized characters recognized by optical readers when swiped in government and airline devices.

All Visa Waiver Program travelers, regardless of age or type of passport used, must present individual machine-readable passports. In addition, depending on when Visa Waiver Program travelers' passports were issued, other passport requirements may apply:

• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended on or after October 26, 2006 require an integrated chip with information from the data page (e-Passport).
• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended between October 26, 2005 and October 25, 2006 require a digital photograph printed on the data page or an integrated chip with information from the data page.
• Machine-readable passports issued or renewed/extended before October 26, 2005 have no further requirements.
• Temporary, emergency, official and diplomatic passports are exempt from biometric digital photo and chip requirements, but must be machine-readable. Note that German temporary or emergency passports are not included in this biometric e-Passport exemption. Therefore, holders of German temporary or emergency passports must either obtain a valid, machine-readable regular German passport for Visa Waiver Program travel or apply for a U.S. visa to travel to or through the U.S.

If a traveler cannot meet all of the Visa Waiver Program requirements, he/she must obtain a visa for entry to the U.S. and cannot travel without a visa on the Visa Waiver Program. Visit Visa Waiver Program on the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection web site for additional information.

Countries eligible for U.S. Visa Waiver Program with machine-readable passports are listed below:

U.S. government regulations prohibit airlines serving the U.S. from boarding visa-waiver nationals who do not have a machine-readable passport or visa that meets all aforementioned requirements.

To learn more, or to apply for a non-immigrant visa, please visit the U.S. Department of State web site at www.travel.state.gov.

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Department of Homeland Security Introduces Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) for Visa Waiver Program Travelers

Effective January 12, 2009, for travel to or connecting through the U.S., the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will require all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) nationals to obtain an electronic travel authorization prior to boarding. This new authorization is known as the Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA.

Nationals of the following countries are currently eligible to travel under the VWP:

* ESTA is required from November 17, 2008

Exempt from the ESTA requirement are:

• * VWP nationals who are U.S. residents
• * VWP nationals who hold a visa for a specific trip to the U.S.

The DHS is now accepting voluntary ESTA applications through the ESTA Web site https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

VWP travelers are not required to have specific plans to travel to the United States before they apply for an ESTA authorization, but it is recommended that an ESTA approval be obtained as soon as a VWP traveler begins to plan a trip to visit the United States, and no later than 72 hours before departure to the United States.

There is no cost for the application and once the application is submitted online, in most cases, ESTA will respond with an almost immediate determination of eligibility for travel. If approval is not granted prior to check-in, boarding may be denied. Passengers may experience delayed processing, or denied admission at a U.S. port of entry. At this time it is not fully known what role carriers will play in ensuring the customer has obtained ESTA approval.

• Approval will be valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is earlier
• Once ESTA approval has been granted, it is not necessary for the VWP national to obtain approval before each trip within the two years (unless a new passport is obtained)
• An ESTA is not required for Guam provided traveler has a nonrefundable, and nontransferable round-trip ticket with a departure date not exceeding 15 days from the date of admission
• An ESTA is not required for Saipan
• An ESTA may be denied due to: overstays, previous criminal history, issues associated with a prior visa
• Receipt of ESTA is not valid for travel

More information may be found in http://www.CBP.GOV/ESTA.

ESTA applications are available at the ESTA Website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov.

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International Travel with Minors (including Canada & Mexico)
Because some foreign countries may not permit entry to minors not accompanied by both parents without additional documentation, we highly recommend you travel with the following documentation:

Many countries require documentary evidence of the traveling adults' relationship to the child and permission of the parent(s) or legal guardian before they will allow the child to cross the border. Single parents, grandparents or guardians traveling with children often need proof of custody or notarized letters from the other parent authorizing travel. These requirements are in addition to passport or proof of citizenship requirements.

• Minor traveling with one parent: If a minor child is traveling with only one parent, the absent parent is recommended to provide notarized consent. If only one parent has legal custody, that parent should be prepared to provide a court order of child custody to airlines and international authorities.
• Minor traveling alone: If a minor child is traveling alone or in someone else's company, both parents (or the sole, documented custodial parent) are recommended to provide notarized consent.
• Minor with a different last name: If a child traveling has a different last name from the mother and/or father, the parents should be prepared to provide evidence to airlines and official authorities, such as a birth certificate or adoption decree, to prove that they are the parents.
• Minor has one deceased parent: If one parent is deceased, a death certificate should be readily provided by the other parent.
• Minor has one parent: If the birth certificate shows that the minor only has one parent, it will be sufficient to hold only a notarized copy of the birth certificate.

Travelers should be aware that Mexican entry regulations require any unaccompanied minor under the age of 14 to be met by an adult.

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