I am wondering if I need a passport....?

Question

Okay , so my friend invited me on a two week cruise to Hawaii and on the way back to Cali, we are stopping in Mexico and I was wondering if I needed to get a passport to be able to get off of the ship in Mexico.

Answer 1

yes, you need a passport but good luck there is a long wait, because of the new law requiring passports to go to mexico and canada

Answer 2

if you are travelling to mexico by sea or land you should be able to enter with proof of citizenship and photo id.

hope the info below helps too:

Travel Accommodation Announced June 8, 2007

    * Maura Harty, Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs on the Temporary Travel Accommodation

    * How Does This Affect Me?

    * Are you a child who is a U.S. citizen traveling to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region by air and you have applied for a passport but have not received it yet?

The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced Friday, June 8, that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region, who have applied for, but not yet received passports, can re-enter the United States by air. This accommodation does not mean that Americans are exempt from meeting the entry requirements of Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region, some of which require a passport, certified birth certificate, or other evidence of citizenship for entry.

We have reached out to the governments of countries affected by WHTI to consult with them about our announcement. Many of them have agreed to take a flexible approach toward their own entry requirements. For the most current information on entry requirements at their destination, travelers should contact their airline.

U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region who have applied for, but not yet received passports, can re-enter the United States by air by presentation of a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007.  The federal government is making this accommodation for air travel due to longer than expected processing times for passport applications in the face of record-breaking demand.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) was mandated by Congress in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for citizens and legitimate international visitors. WHTI requirements for air travel took effect on January 23, 2007.

Adults who have applied for but not yet received a passport should present government-issued photo identification and an official proof of application from the U.S. Department of State. Children under the age of 16 traveling with their parents or legal guardian will be permitted to travel with the child’s proof of application status. Children traveling alone should carry a copy of their birth certificate, baptismal record or a hospital record of birth in the United States in addition to their passport application status documentation. This accommodation applies to all American citizens who apply for passports, until September 30, when this accommodation period ends. U.S. citizens with pending passport applications can obtain proof of application at: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/sta...

Since implementation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has and will continue to exercise its current authorities in unique circumstances to allow individuals subject to the WHTI requirements into the United States based on other evidence of identity and citizenship.

Travel document security remains a top priority for the U.S. Government.  Both the 9/11 Commission and the U.S. Congress urged strengthening of travel documents to prevent entry of terrorists across our borders, reduce use of fraudulent documents, and speed up entry procedures.



How does this affect me?

   1. Are you a U.S. Citizen traveling to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region by air who HAS APPLIED for a passport but has not received it yet?

    * If so, go to http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/sta... and follow the instructions to print out your passport status page. Keep this status page with you during your entire trip for both exit from the U.S. and re-entry to the U.S.

    * Next, find out what the entry requirements are for the country you are visiting. In some cases, you may need to contact the Embassy of the country you are visiting.

    * Be sure to present the documentation required by the country you are visiting along with your printed passport status page to the airline personnel upon departure and re-entry to the U.S.

   2. Are you a U.S. Citizen traveling to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region by air and you have NOT APPLIED for a passport yet, or, you HAVE NOT APPLIED TO RENEW an expired passport yet?

    * If so, access the Passport Page to apply for a new passport or to renew an old passport

    * Once your application is in process with the U.S. Department of State (which could take up to  7 to 10 days to track online), you should:

    * Go to Checking the Status of Your Application and follow the instructions to print out your passport status page. Keep this status page with you during your entire trip for both exit from the U.S. and re-entry to the U.S.

    * Next, find out what the entry requirements are for the country you are visiting. In some cases, you may need to contact the Embassy of the country you are visiting.

    * Be sure to present the documentation required by the country you are visiting along with your printed passport status page to the airline personnel upon departure and re-entry to the U.S.

   3. If you are a U.S. Citizen traveling to ANY OTHER COUNTRY and your passport application and delivery has been delayed,

    * Please go to U.S. Passport Application Status to check the status of your application. The online status check will verify that the application is in process, and will update to confirm when the completed passport has been mailed.

   4. If you are a U.S. Citizen traveling to ANY OTHER COUNTRY and your passport application and delivery has been delayed and trip departure date is within two weeks, please e-mail the National Passport Information Center.

   5. Are you a child who is a U.S. citizen traveling to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda or countries in the Caribbean region by air and you have applied for a passport but have not received it yet?

    * Children 16 and under traveling with a parent or legal guardian will be required to present the proof of passport application status from the Department of State (DOS) for departure from the United States as well as re-entry to the United States.  Acceptable confirmation of a passport application may be found at the Department of State’s website at http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/sta...

    * Children 16 and under traveling alone should carry a copy of their birth certificate, baptismal record or a hospital record of birth in the United States as well as the proof of passport application status from the Department of State (DOS) for departure from the United States as well as re-entry to the United States. Acceptable confirmation of a passport application may be found at the Department of State’s website at http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/sta...

    * Children older than 16 and traveling alone are required to have a government-issued photo ID in addition to the proof of passport application status.  Acceptable confirmation of a passport application may be found at the Department of State’s website at http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/sta...

Media Notes

    * 06/08/2007  Joint Departments of State and Homeland Security Announcement: U.S. Citizens with Pending Passport Applications Allowed Temporary Travel Flexibility Within Western Hemisphere

Frequently Asked Questions

    * Frequently Asked Questions about the U.S. Citizens with Pending Passport Applications Allowed Temporary Travel Flexibility (FAQs)

Federal Regulations

    * Final Rule - Air Phase (pdf PDF)

    * Proposed Rule - Passport Card (pdf PDF)

    * Comments Submitted in Passport Card Rule Making Proceeding (DOS-2006-0329-0001)

Other Relevant Links

    * Department of Homeland Security

    * U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Answer 3

yes you need it

Answer 4

Yes with the new changes you must have a passport to enter mexico

Answer 5

You can use a copy of your birth certificate and license in place of a passport until 2008.  I just went on a cruise in March and went to Mexico.  I lost my first passport and my new one didn't come in time so I used a certified copy of my birth certificate and my license and got in, but the rule will change in 2008.

Answer 6

According to the state dept. you do not need a passport to enter mexico or canada unless you are traveling via air. For your trip all you need is a certified copy or a original  of your birth certificate. This also works in the carribean.

Answer 7

all travel by air and sea requires passports now.  It is good to have one any way.

Answer 8

I feel it best to be safe rather than sorry and get a passport.

That is what my fiance and I did while cruising Aug '06 to Mexico.

I'd rather not get caught in another country without a passport.

Answer 9

If you're going there on a cruise ship no, you just need your cruise ship card, and your ID, and to get on the ship you need a birth certificate, and ID, and other things like name change documents, or marriage certificate, stuff like that.. Now if you are spending a week in Cali and then going down to Mexico on you're own, I am pretty sure you would need one getting back into the US... So by ship you wouldn't, but it would definitely come in handy.

Answer 10

I was on a cruise to Mexico recently and we had to have passports.  Even my kids.