I heard you don't need tohave a passport to go out of the country?

Question

so my youth group is going on a cruise to the bahamas and we were all getting passports and then like 2 weeks ago one of my youth members said that he went to go get his passport and the lady told him that he didn't need it he could just use his birthcirtificat (sp?) does anyone know if that is true or not i thought that now you can't leave the country if you odn't have a passport

Answer 1

you do need one if you want to return to the states.....so don't risk something bad...get one

Answer 2

It depends on your travel date. If you are traveling prior to Dec 31, 2007 your birth certificate will do. If you are traveling after Dec 31, 2007 you will need a passport on a ship. You can locate this information on any of the cruise sites. Have Fun!!

Answer 3

Air travel between the US, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport as of January 23, 2007.

As early as January 1, 2008, persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport.

Answer 4

You should have a passport anytime you want to leave the country.  Its best to be safe rather than sorry.

Answer 5

You need a passport for sure. hahahaha

Answer 6

If your caught your in trouble.It is risky

Answer 7

You should take your birth certificate.  You don't need a passport to get back into the US, only to visit other countries.  Canada does not require a US passport, but they suggest you have one anyway.  I would get one if you get the chance.

Answer 8

You can get out, but you might have a problem getting back in.  It is better to be safe than sorry

Answer 9

My wife and I just came from a cruise to the Bahamas 2 weeks ago. We didn't have a passport. We had no problems. We had to show our Birth Certificate and a government issued photo ID (we used our Drivers License). We showed it to the cruise line and to immigrations, when we returned to US. If you  are cruising after the first of the year you will need a passport, that's when the laws change. Right now you need it to fly in and out of the country but your Birth Certificate and photo ID are fine for sailing.

Answer 10

The U.S. Government will soon require all of our guests (including U.S. citizens) to be in possession of a valid passport when traveling on any Carnival cruise. Foreign nationals should contact their respective governments to obtain further details.  This requirement may become effective as early as January 1, 2008.

AIR TRAVEL

Effective January 23, 2007, passports will be required for air travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, The Bahamas and Bermuda. This is an important new requirement for our cruise guests traveling by air to embark or debark in Vancouver for our Alaska or Hawaii cruises. In addition, this new requirement will also impact our Canadian guests that travel by air to or from any of our U.S. embarkation ports.

Carnival strongly recommends that all guests travel with a valid passport during their cruise. This will enable guests to fly from the U.S. to meet their ship at the first port should they miss their scheduled embarkation; and allow guests that must debark the ship before their cruise ends to fly back to the U.S. without significant delays and complications. Additionally, it will greatly help to expedite their debark process.

Answer 11

you  should get one

Answer 12

Just came back from the Bahamas. Get your passport. All you used to need was a birth certificate. The law has changed and is being enforced.

I would be very surprised if they even let him leave the U.S. without a passport. The airline I flew would not let you leave without a passport. The cruise lines/ airlines do not want their passengers stranded, so I can't imagine them letting someone leave the country with only a birth certificate.

Answer 13

As of January 1, 2007 you are required to have a passport to leave or enter the US.

Get your passport. The birth certificate will not work for you any more.

Answer 14

They just changed the rules on this, and you do need a passport for the Bahamas.

Answer 15

You do not need a passport to go to the bahamas by SEA at least until Jan 2008.  You do need one to travel by air.  And this is only for the Caribbean.

Answer 16

Well, You can call Carnival to verify ans speak to a live-op

1-888-CARNIVAL.

I am leaving fron Norfolk , VA to go to the Bahamas on Sunday 6/3 for 6 nights and I only need my b/c and a valid state issued ID.

This rule is good until Jan or Jun of 2008. Originally, the deadline was in Jan of 2007 but, the federal government pushed the date back for some reason. Here's what I found:

On October 4, 2006, the U.S. Government extended the passport deadline for sea travel to the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Mexico to June 1, 2009.

For now, passengers sailing to foreign destinations only need government-issued identification or a birth certificate to re-enter the United States.

Here is a site you can check out-> click under FAQ's.

Click "Do I need a passport"---hope that helped. :)