Strict new passport requirements for U.S. citizens traveling in the Western Hemisphere
U.S. citizens travelling to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean face new documentation requirements beginning on June 1.
The requirements do not affect departure from the U.S. However, citizens wishing to return by air from any of these destinations will have to present a valid U.S. passport. Those returning by sea or land from these destinations may present a valid U.S. passport, or they have the additional option of showing a U.S. passport card. Travelers who do not present either a passport or passport card when they return to the U.S., should expect long delays as the Department of Homeland Security investigates their case.
Travelers who need to obtain or renew their passport should allow a minimum of four weeks from the time they submit their complete materials. Passports can be obtained in approximately two weeks by paying for expedited service.
Those whose travel begins in less than 14 days must travel to the Chicago Passport Agency (Kluczynski Federal Building, 230 S. Dearborn Street, 18th Floor, Chicago, Ill. 60604-1564) or another regional passport agency. Many, but not all, post offices provide passport services. Travelers can check for the nearest post office and can obtain complete information about application procedures on line at this web site: travel.state.gov/passport.
The Department of Homeland Security has recently established an alternative document for individuals who do not plan to fly, but will travel back to the U.S. by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean. The wallet-sized U.S. passport card looks a lot like a U.S. driver's license. The passport card can be obtained in three weeks. For a mailed application, the passport application fee is $75; for a passport card, the mail-in application fee is $20. Full details about the new passport card can be found at travel.state.gov/passport.
Certain very limited exceptions to the new passport requirements have been established -- for certain minors, for some school groups, for some groups traveling on a cruise. Homeland Security has defined these exceptions narrowly. Travelers should research the exceptions thoroughly before concluding that they meet one of these special conditions.
