Traveling Abroad for a Game or Concert: Passports to STEP

Planning an international fan trip: passport validity and processing times, entry rules, STEP enrollment, health and insurance, and bringing merch home through customs.

go2.fan · Last reviewed October 24, 2026 · 6 min read

Following your team to an away match overseas, or catching a tour stop in another country, can be the trip of a lifetime. It also comes with paperwork that a domestic trip doesn't: a valid passport, possibly a visa or electronic travel authorization, and rules for what you can bring home.

The good news is that the official checklists are short and free. The U.S. State Department, the CDC and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) each publish what you need to know. This guide pulls their advice together in the order you'll need it, starting the moment you start thinking about tickets. Requirements differ from country to country and change over time, so always confirm the details for your specific destination.

Check your passport before you buy anything

The State Department's international travel checklist says to check your passport's expiration date "as soon as you start planning a trip." That matters for fans because event tickets and flights often go on sale well before travel, and a passport problem discovered late can cost you the whole trip.

Watch for two details on that checklist:

Some countries, especially in Europe, require your passport to be valid for at least six more months after your travel dates. A passport that technically hasn't expired may still be too close to expiring.
Passports for children under 16 are valid for only five years, so a child's passport can lapse sooner than you expect.

If you need a new passport or a renewal, apply early. The State Department posts current processing times on its passport website, offers expedited service for an extra fee, and notes that mailing adds time on both ends: getting your application to a passport agency and getting the finished passport back to you. Processing times change, so check the State Department's current figures before you book anything nonrefundable.

Learn your destination's entry rules

The State Department keeps a destination page for each country, reached from its checklist. Each one covers the Travel Advisory level, entry, exit and visa requirements, passport validity requirements, U.S. embassy and consulate contact information, local laws and special circumstances, and vaccine requirements and health information.

Travel Advisories use four levels: Level 1, exercise normal precautions; Level 2, exercise increased caution; Level 3, reconsider travel; and Level 4, do not travel. Check the level for your destination when you start planning and again before you leave, since advisories are updated.

Some countries require a visa or an electronic travel authorization to enter. The State Department says to check with the foreign embassy of your destination for the most up-to-date requirements. Do this before you book nonrefundable travel.

Medications deserve a look too. The State Department notes that some prescription and over-the-counter medications are not legal in foreign countries, even though they are legal in the United States. Check the health section of your destination's page, and bring copies of your prescriptions and medicines in labeled bottles.

If you plan to rent a car to get to a stadium outside the city, know that many countries don't accept a U.S. driver's license. You may need an International Driving Permit and extra auto insurance.

Watch out for document scams

The FTC warns about copycat websites that look like official government sites and charge high fees, including for services that are free on the State Department's website. Start from the State Department's own travel website or your destination country's official embassy site when you apply for anything.

International Driving Permits are a target too. The FTC says scammers sell fake permits online and in person, and that the State Department authorizes only two organizations to issue them in the United States: the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA). A fake permit is worthless and could cause legal trouble or delays abroad.

Enroll in STEP

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free State Department service that sends you email updates and alerts from U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. According to the State Department, STEP messages include security alerts, demonstration alerts, health alerts, weather or natural disaster alerts, Travel Advisory updates, and routine messages about embassy and consulate services.

STEP also helps the U.S. embassy or consulate contact you or your emergency contact in an emergency. That's useful for big events, which draw crowds and can be affected by weather, transit disruptions or local demonstrations.

To use it, you create a free account and register your trip details, including where you'll be and for how long. The State Department also offers a guest subscription if you want messages without registering a Login.gov account. If your plans change, update your information so the embassy has accurate data.

Check health guidance and think about insurance

The CDC's Travelers' Health site has a page for each destination and a list of Travel Health Notices, which run from Level 1, "Practice Usual Precautions," to Level 4, "Avoid All Travel." Look up your destination when you start planning, and again closer to departure.

Insurance is easy to overlook. The State Department says plainly that the U.S. government does not provide insurance or pay medical bills or unexpected travel costs for U.S. citizens abroad, and that U.S. health insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid, usually does not cover care abroad. It recommends considering travel medical insurance that covers emergency medical care and medical evacuation. Review any policy carefully so you know what it does and doesn't cover, including whether it covers trip cancellation or interruption.

Protect your documents, and bring the right ones for kids

The State Department suggests making multiple copies of your travel documents. Give one set to a trusted friend or family member, keep another set with you but separate from the originals, and take photos of your documents on your phone. If your passport is lost or stolen in a crowded fan zone, those copies make replacing it easier.

If you are traveling with children without one or both of their parents, the State Department says you may need legal documents showing custody or a notarized letter of permission from the other parent, and that this may be required even if one parent is traveling with the child. Check your destination's entry requirements well ahead of time.

Coming home with merch

Jerseys, scarves and other souvenirs are part of the fun, but CBP has rules for the trip back. CBP advises travelers to "Declare everything you bring in from abroad, even if you bought it in a duty free shop."

Personal exemptions, meaning the value of goods you can bring back without paying duty, are $200, $800 or $1,600 depending on the countries you visited, according to CBP. Read CBP's shopping guidance for the conditions that apply to your trip.

Be careful with knockoffs. CBP warns that if merchandise from street vendors is counterfeit or unsafe, you may have to surrender it to CBP officers when you return. Buying from official team, league or event shops lowers that risk.

Key takeaways

Check your passport's expiration date as soon as you start planning; some countries require six months of validity beyond your trip.
Passport processing times change, and mailing adds time on both ends, so check the State Department's current times and apply early.
Read your destination's State Department page for visa, entry, health and local-law details.
Enroll in the free STEP program to get embassy alerts and help in an emergency.
U.S. health insurance usually doesn't cover care abroad; consider travel medical insurance.
Declare everything you bring home, and avoid counterfeit merch that CBP can make you surrender.

Sources

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