Whether you're newly married, recently divorced, or have legally changed your name for other reasons, updating your passport is an important step for hassle-free travels. It might seem a bit overwhelming at first, but don't worry—I'm here to guide you through every step of the way.

Road tripping through Spain, eating pasta in Italy, backpacking in Thailand. All of that sounds amazing, right?! Well, one of the not so fun but most important steps is getting your passport. At least once you get it done, you don’t have to worry about renewing it for a whole 10 years. I am going to outline below how to get your passport if you are a citizen of the United States and how to go through the renewal process if you’re ready for that. Remember, most countries won’t let you enter the country if your passport is expiring in less than 6 months, or if you have too few pages left over!