If you’re a U.S. citizen flying to Aruba for vacation, you should plan on traveling with a valid U.S. passport as usual. Aruba may be a popular Caribbean destination, but you’re still leaving the United States and entering another country.

Here’s what that means when you’re planning your trip.

Yes, Bring Your Passport

U.S. travelers arriving by air need appropriate travel documentation, and your passport is the big one.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking a regular driver’s license or REAL ID changes the rules because it allows you to board domestic flights. REAL ID is not a substitute for a passport when traveling internationally.

That distinction catches people because Aruba feels like such an easy trip from the United States. You book a flight, reserve a hotel, throw some shorts in a suitcase, and you’re practically done.

Except for the international travel part.

Check Your Passport Before You Book

This is one of those little travel habits that can prevent a huge headache: physically look at your passport before making nonrefundable plans.

Don’t rely on remembering when it expires.

Pull it out, check the expiration date, make sure it’s in good condition, and verify that the name matches the name you’ll use for your airline reservation.

It takes just a moment of your time, and if the passport has expired, is badly damaged, or needs to be replaced because of a name change, you’ll know before you’ve committed yourself to a departure date.

What About Traveling With Children?

Children traveling internationally need proper documentation too.

A child being too young to have a driver’s license obviously doesn’t exempt them from international passport requirements. Parents planning a family vacation should check everyone’s documents at the same time.

That includes passports that haven’t been used for a while. Children’s passports have different validity periods than standard adult passports, so one can expire sooner than a parent expects.

Nothing ruins the excitement of a family vacation quite like discovering one member of the family can’t travel.

Give Yourself Some Breathing Room

The best time to discover a passport problem is months before your vacation.

The worst time is while packing.

If your Aruba trip is approaching and you need a new passport or renewal quickly, expedited passport service may be an option depending on your situation and travel date.

Texas Tower assists travelers who need expedited U.S. passport processing and can help determine what documents are required for the type of passport service you need.

One More Thing Before You Go

Entry rules can change, so check current requirements before departure, including any required arrival forms or other entry procedures.

Then get back to planning the fun part.

Beaches, snorkeling, ridiculously blue water, and dinner somewhere with an ocean view are the things you should be thinking about a few days before your flight.

Not, “Wait. Where's my passport?”