Passports required to Canada/Mexico?

Anyone been across the north or south borders this year?  I heard that passports are now required for all border crossings, but then someone else said that will eventually be the case but for now a driver's license or birth certificate is still okay.  Anyone know the real scoop?

Scotty

As of now, passports are required for those arriving in the US from Canada and Mexico by plane or boat and those walking or driving across the border can get by with a driver's license or birth certificate if questioned. The walking/driving exemption is supposed to change to passport early next year. The way things are going down at the passport office, who knows what tomorrow will bring ??? ???

IN any case it would be best to get a passport so you can have it with you.

Ron said:

IN any case it would be best to get a passport so you can have it with you.

Click to expand...

Long term I agree, however we are headed that way (Niagra Falls, Canada) in a week... and I hear the waiting list and approval process for passports is at least 6 months!

scottydl said:

Long term I agree, however we are headed that way (Niagra Falls, Canada) in a week... and I hear the waiting list and approval process for passports is at least 6 months!

Click to expand...

Still would be a good time to apply for one in case you need it in the future.  Besides if they do change the rules it might help if you are on record for having applilied  for a passport.

Drving you can use a birth certificate and a DL.

Flying to Canada and Mexico you can use the same PLUS a receipt for a Passport Application until September(New Rule to cover the delay in passports.

My daughter just got her passport back in 2 weeks by paying the 'expedite' fee.  I don't know how much that was.

Source, June 11, 2007

U.S. Citizens with Pending Passport Applications Allowed Temporary Travel Flexibility

WITHIN WESTERN HEMISPHERE

WASHINGTON ? The U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security announced June 8, 2007 that U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can nevertheless temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with 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.  Travelers who have not applied for a passport should not expect to be accommodated.  U.S. citizens with pending passport applications can obtain proof of application at: http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/status/status_2567.html .

This accommodation does not affect entry requirements to other countries.  Americans traveling to a country that requires passports must still present those documents. 

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.

As early as January 2008, the departments will begin to implement WHTI at land and sea ports of entry.  A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking outlining a phased implementation is expected to be published in the Federal Register within the next two weeks.

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.

My God! With regard to Reply #7.......

What a bunch of Gobble de Goup! (message)
My summation is below after reading article/Statement several times.....

WE, YOUR Government, has goofed up again. We did not use our collective heads to anticipate correctly OUR manpower needs to do what we are being paid to complete.
SOooooo, For this year, and to further notice, get proof you applied for a passport and use this.... DO NOT APPLY EXPECTING A PASSPORT, continue using PROOF OF ID (birth certificate, Baptism Certificates, and/or Driver's licences to cross these borders: Canada; Mexico; Bermuda; Caribbean.

NOT EVEN AN APOLOGY!

Feed back please.... am I correct in this summation?

I would have to agree with your opinion. After spending 25 years in the military, I came to the conclusion, the government thinks with it's a$$, and even then, only when they get so far behind the eight ball that their stupidity embarrasses them. In answer to 'why do we even need a passport', the answer is the same as it is for all government mandated programs: why react when we can overreact and make matters worse!. Oh yea, the governments motto is: Hurry up and wait.

One question for our European friends - in Europe, is one required to have a passport to visit another country in Europe (Example: German wanting to visit France, etc.)? Just curious, and curious minds want to know 

Larry

Just what did you expect the Washington incompedence to do something right??? ??? ??? ??? ;D

2006F350 said:

One question for our European friends - in Europe, is one required to have a passport to visit another country in Europe (Example: German wanting to visit France, etc.)? Just curious, and curious minds want to know 

Click to expand...

Sorry, no one-word-answer. There is the "Schengen-Agreement" for the boarder controls. Look here and here.

Thanx Mike. It's quite a bit more detailed than I thought.

Larry

Bernie,

That's correct according to what they were reporting on TV last night.  Bungled as usual.

ArdraF

I agree with most of what has been said. I was in it for over 20 years.

However....after working in the tourist industry for over 12 years, the American tourist can sometimes be the dumbest thing on two legs. If I remember right, the government announced over two years ago that passports would be required. They even have different effective dates depending on mode of travel (Jan '07 air & sea, Jan '08 driving/walking) to spread out the amount of time when people needed passports. But the tourist has to wait until the last minute to apply for one then blames the government because they don't get one in time. PP planing on the tourist's part doesn't make it an emergency on the government's part. Passports are good for, I think, 10 years so there is no excuse not to get one as soon as you even think that you might be going somewhere where you will need one. As RVers our chances of crossing a border are much greater then the general populous.

How many out there haven't applied for your passport yet??

We last renewed our passports in 2005.  We have had passports since the seventies and have always kept them current.

I sent my passport in for renewal when we returned from Mexico on3/31/2007.

Do not have it back yet. (Forgot to put the check in which slowed it down three weeks. : :

YES! People are PP planners, and RV'ers should have applied if trip out side this country is a possibility. Remember though, around $100 is not chicken feed. BUT, dealing with Government is like going into a retail store where owners are long gone, and "HELP" could care less if your helped or not.....

What a bunch of Gobble de Goup! (message)
My summation is below after reading article/Statement several times.....

Click to expand...

My message did not emphasize enough my point..... all them there words and I think I understand "Washington Letter" (dated June 7th). Minus the sarcasms, is my SUMMATION correct?

Alaskansnowbirds said:

How many out there haven't applied for your passport yet??

Click to expand...

We haven't applied and have no intention of doing so. There is way too much to see and do in US. We don't have any desire to go to Mexico (been there, done that); Alaska (been there done that too with the military). Canada --- refer to the second sentence, but that is not to say that in the future, we would consider it once uncle sam figures out that a Notorized US Birth Certificate (me), or Naturalization papers (wife) along with AF Retired Military ID Cards are pretty dxxxxx good indicators of your citizenship and of who you are!

Yes, $100 is definatly not chicken feed (except to pork barrel senators), and considering that I spent 25 glorious years severly underpaid in the AF, both mine and the wife's should be 'gratis'.


 

2006F350 said:

There is way too much to see and do in US.

Click to expand...

I do agree with you here, but the circumstances of my upcoming motorhome purchase will have me less than 10 miles from Niagra Falls.  And I hear the Ontario side is much more notable than the New York side, which is why I started asking about this initially.  Once we get home from this pickup however, the majority of our camping time will be within home-sweet-Illinois.  Eventually we might venture out to some other states. 

2006F350 said:

considering that I spent 25 glorious years severly underpaid in the AF, both mine and the wife's should be 'gratis'.

Click to expand...

Now THAT is a great idea!  Put together a petition and I'll gladly sign it to support the movement.  ;D