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Languages to learn when traveling Europe

One of the main languages you need to learn is German and French. Everybody speaks those languages, and if ever you encounter somebody that doesn’t speak one of them, at least you know the other language. Communication is extremely important and a vital aspect for everybody. Those two languages are definitely the most important to learn. Once she learns those, she can easily adapt to several other languages used in other parts of Europe.

How to learn other languages

Consider finding a nice tape online or from your local bookstore that teaches the languages well. A tape or video is better than a book, unless the book itself has many audio tracks to listen along with. Don’t forget that a private coach is always recommended as well.

Learning other languages can be hard and tough, but it is extremely important that you do so weeks before you arrive. Asking where the bathroom is and where the closest phone booth is are quite hard to say in English. If you speak in English, they might point you to the wrong place and you might end up somewhere else. Learn these languages as best as you can, and you can be sure to enjoy your trip and have an easier time when taking family trips to europe .

Emergency Passport Fees

Application Fee – The application fee is paid to the U.S. government to cover the expense of processing your application. The application fee for new passport book or a renewal for an adult is currently $75. The fee for a new passport book for a minor is $70. The passport card is less expensive but limited to air and sea travel to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean. The fee for the card is $20 for adults and $10 for children age 15 and under. There is no application fee for adding visa pages, changing a name in a passport issued less than a year earlier or correcting errors in a passport.

Execution Fee – The execution fee is only paid by U.S. citizens who submit application form DS-11. Applicants who are obligated to submit this form must take an oath and have an agent witness the signing of the application. The execution fee covers this service.

Expedited Service Fee – This fee is applied to all applications in which the applicant requests to have the process expedited. This is optional for those who apply by mail. It is mandatory for those who apply at a regional passport agency. Requesting expedited service for an application sent by mail means the process will be completed in 2-3 weeks. Applications submitted at a regional agency are usually processed the same day or, at times, the next day.

Professional Expediting Fees – Travelers who need a passport quickly but are unable to visit a regional agency themselves can still get emergency passports by authorizing a professional expediter to submit their applications. Fees for this service vary depending on the expediter you choose and how fast you want to get your passport.

A request to receive your passport in 10-14 days may mean paying a fee of approximately $65 while same day service can be more than $300. While this may seem very expensive, it is important to evaluate other expenses that you may have when applying for an emergency passport so that you have an idea of the true cost.

Additional Expenses for Emergency Passports

An honest comparison of the cost of emergency passport services must take into consideration the additional expenses that an applicant might have in the process. First, let’s look at possible expenses for American citizens who want to submit the application themselves at a regional agency.

Time - This is included at the top of the list because it is one that is often not considered but, at the same time, can be very costly. How much is your time worth? You may have to spend a long time on the phone just to get through to the automated appointment system for the regional agencies. Then there is the time consumed traveling to the agency. Finally, you will probably have to wait in long lines for quite a while. Since the agencies are closed on weekends, you will have to go on a weekday. Does this mean losing a day of work? How much will that cost you?

Transportation – Whether you go by car, bus, train, subway, plane, taxi or a combination of these, you could end up spending a lot of money just to get to the regional agency, especially if you live far away. If you go by car, you will also have to pay for parking. Since agencies are located in major cities, this expense can be a lot, too.

Food – Unless you live near the agency and are going at a time of the year when the deman is low, you will probably spend several hours to a day or more outside of your home. More than likely, you will have to purchase a meal or two. Don’t forget to include this in your calculations.

Lodging – Applicants who live great distances away from the nearest regional agency may find it necessary to stay overnight in the city where the agency is located. It is difficult to find a descent hotel for less than $100.

The expenses listed above are those that you may have if you decide to apply yourself. But what additional expenses are there for those who decide to apply through a professional expediting service?

Postage – Once you complete the expediter’s online application, you need to mail your completed passport form and supporting documents. To accelerate the process you should use a two-way overnight delivery method. There are several different options but the cost should be between $40 and $80. You are encouraged to choose a traceable method of mailing your documents.

As you can tell from the information above, the cost of emergency passport processing can vary greatly. The mandatory costs include the expedited service fee, application fee and the execution fee (in the case of a new passport). The cost that you have beyond this will depend on whether you decide to submit the application yourself or get an expediter to submit it for you.

Before you rule out a professional expediting service, be sure to carefully calculate the expenses you will have if you decide to visit the regional agency yourself. You just may find that the cost of emergency passport processing through an expediter is actually less after everything is added up.

Live in Europe For A Short Term
Citizens of many countries (USA, Australian, Canada, etc) can live in Europe legally for 90 days with nothing more than a valid, current passport. No visa or permit is required for passport holders of these countries. Otherwise, if you are not a passport holder of one of these countries you will need a Schengen visa to live in Europe for up to 90days.

Live in Europe for a Long Term
If you want to live in Europe for a long term, you will require a residency permit. These are complicated, but not impossible, to come by. There are three possibilities.

* Get Citizenship: Some countries, such as Ireland, allow descendants of citizens to become passport holders. If you have a mother or father or sometimes even a grandparent with a European nationality, see if you can also be granted a passport to that country. Once you have a European passport, you can live anywhere in Europe with nothing more than completing some simple paperwork.

* Get a Job: If you can get employment from a European company the company can often get the necessary paperwork done for you. How do you get a job with a European company? If you are a student, there are often internship or trainee programs which you can apply for. Permits for interns are relatively easy for a company to apply for and many large companies regularly do this. Once they get to know you, the company may be willing to hire you on a permanent basis.

If you are not a student but have marketable skills (computer programming, MBA, engineering, etc) are a native English speaker and preferably speak a European language try applying to corporate head offices of a major European company. For example, if you want to work in Germany apply to German corporate giants like Allianz, Daimler, Deutche Bank, Siemens, etc. If you want to work in France, apply to French corporate giants like Total, Renault, Air France, etc Why? Big European head offices usually exist to serve their smaller affiliate offices around the world and the corporate language is often English. If you have marketable and relevant skills, can speak and write English fluently and ideally, speak and write their native language, they may be interested in hiring you and should be able to justify your working papers to their authorities.

* Start a Company: Do you have a company or company idea? Have you considered starting a Foreign Business ? Many countries will give permits to people who start a small company. In some countries you must be able to demonstrate that the company will be financially successful and in some cases you will have other requirements such as hiring a certain number of employees (usually 1 to 5). Sometimes there are few requirements other than having a legal company. One of the best places for a US citizen to found a company is The Netherlands. The reason is that there is a special treaty between the USA and The Netherlands called the Dutch American Friendship Treaty (DAFT) which grants special privileges to US passport holders. There is still a lot of paperwork necessary and it can be quite expensive and time consuming. But, the requirements are relatively easy. You may want to discuss this option with a lawyer experienced in applying for DAFT permits.

How do you get more information about the requirements for starting a company abroad? Every country has a government agency which is interested in attracting business owners. The agency will give you free advice about how to start a business in their country. To find the agency for a particular country, Google “Invest in The Netherlands”, “Invest in France”, “Invest in Switzerland”, etc.

Emergency Passport Renewal at a Regional Agency

To expedite your passport renewal at a regional agency, you first have to make an appointment. You do this by calling the automated appointment system of the Natioanl Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778. The line is often congested and may require several attempts before you get through.

What do you do if you can’t get through or thee is no appointment available when you need it? Just show up at the regional agency nearest to where you are. Many applicants have been successful at applying without an appointment.

What is required to get a passport renewed? You will need a completed application form DS-82, your most recent undamaged passport and two passport photos that were taken within the last 6 months. If your name has changed since your last passport was issued, you will also be required to submit legal proof of this.

If you go without an appointment you will not have a confirmation number. Therefore, you will be required to present your Social Security card. The total cost for emergency passport renewal is $135. The application fee is $75 and expedited service is an additional $60. You can by personal check, money order or bank draft. Payment should be made to the U.S. Department of State.

Applications submitted early should be processed the same day.

Emergency Passport Renewal through a Professional Expediter

What do you do if you can’t get to a regional agency yourself? The solution is to submit your application for emergency passport renewal through a professional expediting service. Expediters are located in the same major cities as regional passport agencies and are registered with the agencies to submit applications for their clients.

Many expediters have online forms you can use to apply for their service. After completing the form, you will need to send them the completed application form and all supporting documents. You should use a two-way overnight delivery method that is traceable. You are also encouraged to use a secure package.

While expediters can get your passport renewal application processed the same day, you need to factor in the mail delivery time. Of course, if you live in or near a city where a passport expediting service is located, then you can deliver the package to them personally and save yourself some time.

The fees for emergency passport renewals through a professional expediter vary. You can expect to pay approximately $65 for an application that is expedited in 11 business day or more to as much as $300 for an application that is expedited the same day. These fees are in addition to those paid to the U.S. government.

You may consider the cost to be expensive. Of course, having to cancel your trip if you do not get your passport in time may be more costly. The best situation is to renew your passport early but when an emergency catches you by surprise and you need to get your travel document fast, then emergency passport renewals can be a good investment.