Travel resources
What U.S. travelers need, country by country
The passport, visa and travel authorization rules for every country on our expeditions, and which ones we arrange for your group.
The simple rule: carry a passport that is valid for at least six months after you come home. That covers every country we travel to. Below is what each country actually asks of U.S. citizens, and what we arrange for your group.
These rules can change. We check them for every expedition and tell your group if anything is different before you travel. Passport and entry requirements remain the responsibility of each traveler, and travelers who are not U.S. citizens should check with the embassy of each country they will visit.
| Country | Passport validity | Visa or entry permit |
|---|---|---|
| Israel | Six months beyond your travel dates | No visa. An approved ETA-IL, applied for online before you fly. |
| Jordan | Six months | Visa needed. Included in your package and arranged for the group at the border. |
| Egypt | Six months | Visa needed. Included in your package and arranged for the group. |
| Saudi Arabia | Six months | eVisa needed. Each traveler applies online before the trip and pays the fee. We walk you through it. |
| Turkey | 150 days from arrival; we recommend six months | No visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. |
| Greece | Three months after you leave Europe | No visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. |
| Italy | Three months after you leave Europe | No visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. |
| Malta | Three months after you leave Europe | No visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. |
| United States | No passport needed | A REAL ID compliant license or a passport at airport security if the group flies. |
Each passport also needs at least two blank pages. Look at the expiry date now, not the month before you leave: a routine renewal can take several weeks.
U.S. citizens do not need a visa for Israel, but they do need an approved ETA-IL, Israel’s online travel authorization, before boarding the flight. Each traveler applies on the official ETA-IL site, pays a small fee, and usually gets an answer within a few days. Apply as soon as your flights are confirmed.
Use only the official site. Other sites charge several times the real fee for the same application.
Jordan and Egypt both require a visa. On expeditions that include them, the visa is part of your package and we arrange it for the whole group, so travelers do not apply for anything themselves. Bring a passport with six months of validity and at least two blank pages.
On the Footsteps of Moses expedition, each traveler applies for the Saudi tourist eVisa online before the trip and pays the fee, which includes the required medical insurance. It is not part of the package. We send step by step instructions and help anyone who gets stuck.
Greece, Italy and Malta are in the Schengen area. U.S. citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days, and the passport must be valid for at least three months after the day you leave Europe. Six months is still the safer rule.
The first time you enter the Schengen area, border officers now take your fingerprints and a photo under the European Union’s Entry/Exit System. It takes a few extra minutes at passport control and there is nothing to apply for. The European Union also plans an online travel authorization called ETIAS. It is not yet in operation, and we will tell your group if it applies before you travel.
U.S. citizens do not need a visa for Turkey for tourist stays of up to 90 days. Turkey requires a passport valid for at least 150 days from the date you arrive, and we recommend six months. On routes that cross to Patmos, that day is in Greece, so carry your passport.
Our United States expeditions need no passport. If the group flies, each adult needs a REAL ID compliant license or a passport at airport security.
For Israel, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, yes. Greece, Italy and Malta ask for three months after you leave Europe, and Turkey asks for 150 days. Six months after you come home covers every country we visit.
No. Each traveler applies for the ETA-IL online and pays the small fee. It is quick, and we remind your group when to apply.
We do. They are included in your package and arranged for the whole group.
Requirements depend on your passport. Check with the embassy of each country on your route, and tell us early so we can help.
The name on your airline ticket must match your passport exactly. If they differ, renew the passport or tell us the name exactly as it appears in it.
Tell us where your group is going and we will walk your travelers through what they need.