New Passport Requirements - 1/23/2007

As of January 23, 2007, Americans will need U.S. passports to fly into the United States from anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.  

Birth certificates will no longer suffice as proof of citizenship when flying in from Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean.  Entry by land from Mexico and Canada, and the Caribbean and Bermuda by sea will require Americans to display a U.S. Passport as early as January 1st, 2008.

Passport instructions and application forms are provided at the end of our birth certificate order process.  Passport applications take approximately four to six weeks to process when submitted through the mail. 

6/11/07 Update:

Due to extraordinary delays in processing passport applications, the U.S. State Department and Homeland Security have determined that government issued photo id's along with a passport application receipt are currently sufficient for re-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda by air.  This temporary rule expires on September 30, 2008.

The necessary official "receipt" or proof of application is obtained from travel.state.gov and clicking on "Click Here for Proof of Passport Application."  The proof or "receipt" may not be available for several days following the submission of your passport application.

Legislation is in process to extend passport requirements for re-entry to the U.S. from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda by land and sea to June, 2009.

6/21/07 Update:

Bowing to complaints from travelers and Congress, the Bush Administration has extended passport requirements for re-entry to the U.S. from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda by land and sea to at least June 1st, 2008.

A combination of a driver's license and a birth certificate may be substituted for presentation of a U. S. passport at border.