Headed to Canada? It used to be that you didn’t need anything much in the way of documents - a drivers’ license if you were going by land, a birth certificate if you took a plane. But THINGS HAVE CHANGED; you now need a passport to get BACK into the States. These rules apply to travel between the US and Canada, Mexico, and certain Caribbean islands…

by Dan Johnson

Going to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean? Do This Now:

• If there is a chance that you will go to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean within the next six-months, make sure your passport is up-to-date. If you do not have one, apply after you finish reading this article.
• If your passport is going to expire within the next year, check the requirements for renewing a passport by mail, and get it renewed.
• Expect to wait at least three months for your passport. If you pay the government’s $60 expediting fee, plan to wait at least six weeks (yeah, the website may say just a couple of weeks, but do not believe that!).
• You can speed things up if you apply in person at one of the Regional Passport Agencies. But please note: you MUST have an appointment, so call ahead, but even then, BE PREPARED TO WAIT IN LINE.

What Happened?

Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that passports would be required as of June 2007 for trips to Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

This caused a huge upswing in passport applications, clogging the system and setting off months-long delays for any passport-related services.

The State Department, to its credit, reacted to the chaos by delaying the enforcement of the passport rules until September 30, 2007. Until then, people without passports who re-enter the US from those North American countries must provide:

1. A government-issued photo ID (a drivers’ license, for example)
2. Official US Dept. of State proof of passport application submission to pass through airport immigration.

How do you get that proof? Go to the State Department’s Submission Page and follow the instructions there.

Important!

This “getting around having a passport” rule ONLY applies if you have already applied for a passport, and your application is stuck in the system+.+ If you haven’t done this, you are out of luck.

What Happens Next?

Once October hits, you’ll need a passport to get into the United States on a plane. As of this writing, DHS is planning to implement passport requirements in January of 2008 for road crossings between Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and passengers on cruise ships will need passports at some point in the summer of 2008.

Now, there’s been some talk that the State Department might delay the implementation of the new passport requirements until January 2009, BUT, there is no guarantee that will happen, so proceed on the assumption that there will be NO further delays. And, given the mess that accompanied airline deregulation, it’s a safe bet that the system will lock up again. Apply for that passport now!

Keep checking FareCompare for updates. We know that this story affects a large number of our readers, and we will be providing updates and further information as it becomes available.