Passports: US to Canada, Mexico Travel in the News Again

^{Category: Passports | Destinations}

^{Edited 11/23/06: The passport situation has changed several times since this blog was written in April, 2006 -- read the latest passport news here.}

US and Canadian biz officials discussed fears yesterday that new US passport rules, enacted because of terrorism concerns, would harm cross-border travel, according to the UPI. Passports are not currently neccessary for US citizens crossing the Canadian and Mexican borders; that requirement is being phased in through 2007. Travel associations have commented negatively on proposed implementation of new US-Canada/Mexico passport regulations, especially for student travelers, but lauded a cheaper ID card proposal.

The guv will be issuing a cheaper passport alternative or an ID card, possibly called the PASS, as valid US citizenship documentation for travel. The Department of Homeland Security is "taking request proposals in coming weeks with hopes of having production capabilities by the end of the year" for cards, according to the UPI.

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States, according to the US Department of State. Smaller percentages of young people have passports than do older travelers, according to the Washington Post, with estimates of 60 million American citizens currently holding passports but no hard numbers on passport-holding student travelers given. Regarding passport requirements, Doug Ellison, owner of a youth travel firm outside Ontario, told the Washington Post, "I can see the student travel business [from Canada into the United States] almost drying up."

"The proximity of these countries, especially Canada and Mexico, makes them among the most popular destination for U.S. students. The United States is equally popular for many young travelers coming from these countries," wrote the US-based Student Youth Travel Association in a December, 2005, press release.

“An ID card sounds like a good alternative, but even if the cost is modestly high, or the process of getting one is complicated and time-consuming, young travelers will still face the same obstacles they would getting passports,” said Michael Palmer, SYTA’s executive director. “We suggest making the IDs free to young travelers, or offer it to them at a minimal cost that takes into account the family’s financial status.”

Do I need a passport to travel to Mexico and Canada now?

In answer to a frequently asked question these days, no passport is needed for travel to or from Mexico, Canada, Panama, the Caribbean or Bermuda in 2006. According to the US Department of State's proposed timeline, beginning December 31, 2006, you will need a passport for air or sea travel and beginning December 31, 2007, you will need a passport for land travel (the new PASS passport "substitute" may suffice when it is available). That means you don't need a passport to visit Mexico or any of the other spring break hot spots this year. Getting a passport is a great idea, though; it functions as universal international ID, and it's far cheaper and easier to get one at your leisure than just before you need it.

The US Department of State recommends traveling with a valid U.S. passport when returning from Mexico to "...avoid delays or misunderstandings." As of this writing, you will not be kept out of the US because you don't have a passport... but any travel, including travel to and from Mexico, can be simpler if you have one.

• Learn about all the travel documentation you need to visit Mexico
• How to get an American passport
• How to get a passport without a birth certificate
• All about Mexico "tourist cards"

_Source

Edited 11/23/06: The passport situation has changed several times since this blog was accurately written in April, 2006 -- read the latest passport news here.