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Trusted Traveler Cards
-(NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST)
-State Issued Enhanced Driver’s License (when available)
-Enhanced Tribal Cards (when available)
-U.S. Military Identification with Military Travel Orders
-U.S. Merchant Mariner Document when traveling in conjunction with official
maritime business
-Native American Tribal Photo Identification Card
-Form I-872 American Indian Card
For further information see U.S. Customs and Border protection.
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Passport Agency Updates
AIR TRAVEL
ALL PERSONS traveling by air outside of the United States are required to
present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the
United States.
LAND AND SEA TRAVEL
CURRENTLY, U.S. citizens need to present either:
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A
passport, passport card, or other WHTI-compliant document or
-
a
government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with proof of
citizenship, such as a birth certificate.
AS
OF JUNE 1, 2009, the U.S. government will implement the full
requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require
all U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry
to have a passport, passport card, or WHTI-compliant document.
Note: The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or
returning directly from a U.S. territory.
Note: Children under age 16 will be able to continue crossing land
& sea borders using only a U.S. birth certificate (or naturalization
certificate) after the new law takes effect in June. The original birth
certificate or a copy may be used.
U.S. PASSPORT AND
WHTI COMPLIANT DOCUMENTS:
U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling
via air, land or sea between the U.S. and the aforementioned Western Hemisphere
countries.
The Passport Card: Passport card applications are currently being accepted in
anticipation of land border travel document requirements. Based on current
projections, we expect the passport card to be in full production beginning in
July 2008. We will provide additional updates as available. Once in production,
the passport card it will only be valid for land and sea travel between the U.S.
and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda.
WHTI-Compliant Travel Documents for U.S. citizen travel via land or sea, as of
January 31, 2008:
NOTE: FOR NEW PASSPORT HOLDERS
You should realize that your passport is truly a
powerful document that requires protection now more then ever before. Identity
theft is a constant danger, and the last thing anyone wants is his or her name
attached to gun-running, drug smuggling or any sort of international fraud. More
importantly, your passport is the most effective proof that you are, in fact,
you. A passport makes life very easy, but a stolen passport can make life
extremely difficult. So take care in how you carry around and store your
passport so that no one can swipe it while you're shopping for souvenirs or
admiring the landscape.
Do I need
a Visa? |
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Federal Regulations
Final Rule - Air Phase (PDF)
Final Rule - Passport Card (PDF)
U.S. Land/Sea Document Requirements
(PDF)
Important Travel Notes:
Please be advised
that for most foreign travel, your passport must
be valid for a minimum of six (6) months beyond your
trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this
requirement in not met.
Please be advised
that some countries require your passport have as
many as two (2) to four (4) blank visa/stamp pages. Some
airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement
in not met.
Please be advised
that the pages in the rear of your passport
marked "amendment pages" have a specific purpose and may
not be used for neither visa nor entry/exit stamps.
About W.H.T.I.
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a result of the Intelligence Reform
and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), requiring all travelers to present
a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering
the U.S.
The goal of the initiative is to strengthen U.S. border security while
facilitating entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by
providing standardized documentation that enables the Department of Homeland
Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.
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