Passports to be Mandatory

Change in International Travel Requirements: All travelers to and from the Americas, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will soon be required to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States.

The initiative will be implemented in phases. The proposed timeline is as follows:

• On December 31, 2005: Requirement applied to all travel (air/sea) to or from Bermuda, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
• On December 31, 2006: Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada.
• On December 31, 2007: Requirement extended to all air, sea, and land border crossings.

For more information on the initiative and how it may affect you, please visit the State Department’s consular website travel.state.gov or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s website www.dhs.gov.

For more information about applying for a passport, U.S. citizens may visit travel.state.gov or call the National Passport Information Center toll free at 1-877-4USA-PPT or TDD/TYY: 1-888-874-7793. Foreign nationals should contact their respective governments to obtain passports.