AAA travel expo will feature free passport help

U.S. State Department experts are providing on-site assistance to the public at the AAA Travel Marketplace, a free travel expo Friday through Sunday at Hofstra University’s David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex in Hempstead.

The experts will answer questions and process new passport applications and renewals. Passport photos will also be taken.

Many travelers are not aware of alternative forms of identification that can be used for travel, such as passport cards or enhanced licenses, event organizers said.

“When you enter Canada, a border services officer may ask to see your passport and a valid visa, if you’re arriving from a country for which one is required,” Jill Rosenberg, travel manager for AAA Northeast, said in a release. “If you are a United States citizen, you need a passport, passport card or an enhanced license to enter Canada.”

State Department staff members have attended the travel expo in past years, “but this year we’ve significantly expanded the number of personnel,” AAA New York spokesman Robert Sinclair said Thursday.

“Consumers worried about any new visa requirements for U.S. citizens can have their questions answered very directly at the event,” he said.

Information about the documents required to apply for or renew a passport can be found at nwsdy.li/passport.

The event, sponsored by AAA, will feature nearly 100 exhibitors from travel companies and vacation destinations.

The expo is open Friday, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information or directions, visit: aaa.com/marketplace.