FYI NEW PASSPORT LAWS
I know this was posted before but just a Reminder as the new year is rapidly approaching.
U.S. PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS
Traveling to foreign countries will typically require a valid passport, an internationally recognized document which verifies the identity and nationality of the bearer, in order to enter or leave the country. Official Travel Documents provides expedited services for your U.S. passport needs, and more information about specific passport types can be found on our Passport Services page.
Most recently, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requiring passports for travel within the Western Hemisphere, has been developed and will be implemented in phases, as shown in the detailed description of this Initiative below.
WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE
This Initiative will require, by January 1, 2008 all travelers to and from the Americas, the Caribbean and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality for travel among these countries. This will affect all U.S. citizens traveling within the Western Hemisphere as well as certain foreign nationals who are not currently required to present a passport to travel to the U.S. (most citizens of Canada, British Overseas Territory of Bermuda and Mexico).
Implementation of this Initiative will be completed in phases, with the following current proposed timeline:
January 8, 2007 - Passports, Merchant Mariner Documents (MMD)* or NEXUS Air cards* will be required for all air travel, and most commercial sea travel, from within the Western Hemisphere for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda. Previously, this was scheduled to take effect as of January 1, 2006, but has been moved in order to accommodate holiday travel.
January 1, 2008 - All travel noted above plus all U.S. land border crossings must have passports, MMD or NEXUS Air cards to re-enter the United States.
This Initiative will not affect travel between the U.S. and its territories. U.S. citizens traveling between the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa will continue to be able to use currently established forms of identification to board flights and for entry to these locations.
*Merchant Mariner Documents (MMD), also known as 'z-cards', are issued by the U.S. Coast Guard and are to be used by merchant mariners only when on official maritime business. The NEXUS Air card is issued to U.S. and Canadian citizens, denoting permanent resident status, and may only be used in conjunction with the NEXUS Air program. Both the MMD and NEXUS Air card are sufficient proof of identity and citizenship for air and sea travel, but may only be used as stipulated above.
For more information about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security have developed a flyer explaining the basics - click here to download the PDF file. For additional Frequently Asked Questions about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the following government Web site may be helpful:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
U.S. PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS
Traveling to foreign countries will typically require a valid passport, an internationally recognized document which verifies the identity and nationality of the bearer, in order to enter or leave the country. Official Travel Documents provides expedited services for your U.S. passport needs, and more information about specific passport types can be found on our Passport Services page.
Most recently, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requiring passports for travel within the Western Hemisphere, has been developed and will be implemented in phases, as shown in the detailed description of this Initiative below.
WESTERN HEMISPHERE TRAVEL INITIATIVE
This Initiative will require, by January 1, 2008 all travelers to and from the Americas, the Caribbean and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality for travel among these countries. This will affect all U.S. citizens traveling within the Western Hemisphere as well as certain foreign nationals who are not currently required to present a passport to travel to the U.S. (most citizens of Canada, British Overseas Territory of Bermuda and Mexico).
Implementation of this Initiative will be completed in phases, with the following current proposed timeline:
January 8, 2007 - Passports, Merchant Mariner Documents (MMD)* or NEXUS Air cards* will be required for all air travel, and most commercial sea travel, from within the Western Hemisphere for citizens of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Bermuda. Previously, this was scheduled to take effect as of January 1, 2006, but has been moved in order to accommodate holiday travel.
January 1, 2008 - All travel noted above plus all U.S. land border crossings must have passports, MMD or NEXUS Air cards to re-enter the United States.
This Initiative will not affect travel between the U.S. and its territories. U.S. citizens traveling between the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa will continue to be able to use currently established forms of identification to board flights and for entry to these locations.
*Merchant Mariner Documents (MMD), also known as 'z-cards', are issued by the U.S. Coast Guard and are to be used by merchant mariners only when on official maritime business. The NEXUS Air card is issued to U.S. and Canadian citizens, denoting permanent resident status, and may only be used in conjunction with the NEXUS Air program. Both the MMD and NEXUS Air card are sufficient proof of identity and citizenship for air and sea travel, but may only be used as stipulated above.
For more information about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security have developed a flyer explaining the basics - click here to download the PDF file. For additional Frequently Asked Questions about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the following government Web site may be helpful:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html
