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
The following summarizes information available on the Department
of Homeland Security’s website.
 | CURRENTLY: U.S. citizens need to present either (a) a passport, passport card (scheduled to be in full production beginning in July 2008), or WHTI-compliant document; or (b) a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. |
Note: The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory.
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:
|
|
|
For further information see U.S. Customs and Border protection.
ABOUT
WHTI
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.
Federal Regulations
| Final
Rule - Air Phase (PDF)
| Final Rule -
Passport Card (PDF)
| Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking on Land/Sea Rule (PDF) | |
Other
Relevant Links
| Department of Homeland Security
| U.S. Customs and Border Protection
| Applying for
a Passport | |