FINAL Passport Rule Issued for Land
and Sea Borders
On March 27, 2008, the Department of Homeland
Security and the Department of State issued the final
rulemaking concerning the requirements of passports for
land and sea border crossings under the Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). After years of
development following 9/11, this ruling is the end of
the process and can be considered FINAL when ensuring
you have the proper identification when traveling.
Effective June 1, 2009, the following rules take
effect for cruise passengers:
U.S. citizens making land crossings at the Canadian
and Mexico border will be required to have a
passport or a passport card to re-enter the U.S.
U.S. Citizens entering the U.S. via air will
continue to be required to have a valid passport.
U.S. citizens on cruise voyages that begin and end at
the same U.S. port (closed-loop itineraries) must
show Proof of Citizenship* and government-issued photo
ID (such as a driver’s license). A passport will not be
required for passengers that fall into this category.
However, a passport will be accepted.
(*Proof of Citizenship documents include: Original or
certified copy of birth certificate (state issued, not
hospital issued); Naturalization papers; Consular Report
of Birth Abroad issued by Department of State)
All other passengers and/or itineraries
(including that begin in one U.S. port and return to a
different U.S. port or any cruise that begins or ends in
a foreign port) will require a passport or other
recognized document. For a list of accepted documents,
see FINAL Passport Rule Issued for Land and Sea Borders
The good news for a majority of cruise passengers – U.S.
citizens that leave and return on their cruise from the
same U.S. port – is that the travel document
requirements will remain largely unchanged from how the
industry is operating today.
AWA Travel continues to encourage travelers to obtain
passports to allow the broadest travel opportunities.
You can visit
www.travel.state.gov to obtain information on how to
apply at more than 9,000 passport acceptance facilities
in the United States.
Effective Jan. 31, 2008, New Requirements for Entry at
Land and Sea Ports from Canada
Effective Jan. 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens (19
and older) will be required to present proof of
citizenship, such as 1) a passport or 2) a birth
certificate or naturalization certificate supported by a
government issued photo ID, when entering the United
States through land and sea ports of entry from Canada.
Children ages 18 and under are only required to present
proof of citizenship (without ID), such as a birth
certificate, naturalization certificate or passport. If
a birth certificate is presented, it must be a certified
birth certificate issued by the city, county or
state. A photocopy of a birth certificate will only be
accepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) if
the original has been sent to the Department of State in
support of a passport application. In such case, the
traveler must obtain and provide proof of
passport application. These changes are significant
as compared to the current and long-standing policy that
allows CBP officers to accept oral declarations of
citizenship from U.S. and Canadian citizens seeking
entry into the United States through a land or sea
border. Effective Jan. 31, 2008, oral declarations will
not be accepted.
Travel agents should remind all customers traveling by
land or sea to Canada to take either a valid passport or
a government issued birth certificate and photo ID
beginning Jan. 31, 2008. All travelers by air should be
reminded to bring a passport. The passport requirement
for air travelers entering the U.S. from Canada has been
on the books since Jan. 8, 2007. Please note that
travelers holding NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST cards will
continue to be accepted for cross-border travel.
Eventually, at an unspecified date in mid-2008, the
Department of State will require passports, or
soon-to-be announced passport alternatives, from ALL
travelers at ALL points, including air, land and sea,
within the Western Hemisphere. Prior to the effective
date, the State Department intends to make available a
Passport Card, which is specifically designed for land
and sea travel from neighboring countries. The primary
advantages of the Passport Card are that it will be less
expensive and smaller than a traditional passport. In
addition, several states including Washington, Vermont
and New York are creating an Enhanced Driver_s License
that will, according to the CBP, also fulfill the
proof-of-citizenship requirement at land and sea
borders. Further details of these alternative products
are unknown. However, CBP says that ample notice of the
exact date of implementation will be provided to ensure
travelers can obtain the appropriate documents.
Since passports are the gold standard for entering and
exiting the country from all foreign destinations, ALL
travelers, including those traveling by land or sea in
the Western Hemisphere, should be encouraged to obtain,
and travel with, a passport. The current turnaround time
for a passport is four to six weeks. For information on
obtaining a U.S. Passport visit
www.travel.state.gov or call 1-877-487-2778.
Specific documentation requirements for land, sea and
air travel may be found at
www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/.
To learn more about NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST, visit
www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/.
Based on these requirements, AWA Travel strongly
recommends that all travelers obtain a passport now
and not wait for future dates. At any time a passport is
the one sure way of knowing that you can cross the US
border and return.
PLEASE NOTE - In spite of this change there are some
countries in the Caribbean, such as Barbados, that currently require
US Citizens to carry a
passport.
Click
here to check if your destination(s) requires a passport.
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