When traveling to Cancun, Mexico from New York, do you really think a passport is mandatory?

Question

When traveling to Cancun, Mexico from New York, do you really think a passport is mandatory?

Answer 1

Yes....it is mandatory, unless you are driving across or coming on a ship.  

General Passport Information

Traveling abroad? New passport requirements are now in effect. Get the latest information on your passport, visa, and health requirements—which can vary by travel mode—well in advance of your trip. Expedia strongly recommends that every traveler be prepared by having a passport; if you don't have one, allow a minimum of 6–8 weeks to obtain one.

    * Air travel: Passports are now required for all U.S. citizens traveling to or from any international destination via air, with the exception of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

    * Land and sea travel: From January 31, 2008 to June 1, 2009, U.S. citizens traveling to or from the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean, and Mexico via land or sea ports must present a government-issued photo ID in addition to proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. A voter’s registration card and social security card are not considered to be proof of citizenship. Children under the age of 16 do not require a government-issued photo ID.

    * Summer 2009 rules: Beginning June 1, 2009, passports will be required for all U.S. citizens traveling to or from the United States via land, sea, and air—regardless of destination.

United States citizens can visit the State Department’s web site http://travel.state.gov, or call the U.S. National Passport Information Center: (877) 4USA-PPT. Please allow at minimum 6–8 weeks for processing of the passport application. If you need to travel urgently and require a passport sooner, expedited processing is available.

For information, please visit: http://travel.state.gov/passport/about/n...

To find out more information about how to obtain a passport, please visit:http://travel.state.gov/passport/passpor...

To find foreign country entry requirements, please visit: http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/broc...

To find U.S. entry requirements for non-citizens, please visit: http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.h...

Answer 2

to fly yes  to drive not until 2009   i drive to mexico twice a month and have yet to be asked for a passport  and have never heard of any crackdowns

Answer 3

Turn off the computer and watch the news once in a while, or (Even more challenging) read a paper. To fly it is mandatory to have a passport.  See? Mandatory. No options, no opinions, mandatory.

Answer 4

Actually a law was just recently passed that if you are going out of the country then you must have a passport. I am actually applying for mine to go to Mexico also. All you need to do is apply to a local post office. You will need your birth certificate, driver's license, and two 2x2 color photos (which you can get taken at Walgreens for eight dollars.) Here is a link that should help you with everything.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/passpor...

Have fun on your trip!

Answer 5

On the Mexican side what the first guy said is true.  Technically in Mexico, if you don't have the passport and the FMT form, you could get into trouble.  If you are arriving by plane it will be hard to get around that especially in Cancún where the airport is small and its relatively well organized.

Coming back into the US, since the beginning of 2008, the US requires that you have your passport or you could be detained.  They will, of course, let you back into the country, but it might take longer.  I visited a border town in March and didn't have my US passport and I was allowed back in but given a warning.

Answer 6

They won't let you on the plane without a passport.

Answer 7

Yep, I think it would be best to have your passport by air, sea, and land because each time I traveled by bus into, and out of Mexico the mexican border security asked for all passports. They said the passport wouldn't have to be nescessary to June 1, 2009, but I heard rumors that it was this summer they were going to crack down on people.

Also, get that FMT (1-94) form, pay for it, and get it stamped by the Office of Mexican Migration at the port of entry if you cross by land. They will hold you, and fine you if they catch you without it. I know this because I thought my FMT was good for mutiple months/crossings. Nope once you cross back into the US. the FMT is consider non-valid. I paid a small fine.