AIR TRAVEL: Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United
States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required
to present a valid passport to enter (or re-enter) the United States.
U.S. lawful permanent residents will continue to be able to use their Alien Registration Card
(Form I-551) issued by the Department of Homeland Security or other valid evidence of
permanent residence status to apply for entry to the Unitsed States.
CRUISE TRAVEL: As early as June 1, 2009, subject to U.S. Government amendment, ALL persons,
including U.S. citizens, traveling between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central
and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda may be required to present a valid
passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security.
Until that time, the following travel document requirements apply:
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
-- A valid passport is required; visas are required where they apply. This includes
Europe, Asia, Central and South America.
DOMESTIC TRAVEL
-- For domestic travel which includes: the Bahamas, Bermuda, Canada, the
Caribbean and Mexico, a passport (valid or expired) is highly recommended.
-- In the absence of a passport, a birth certificate (original or a certified copy), plus a
picture ID card issued by a federal, state or local government agency is required.
-- A voter registration card or Social Security Card are not considered to be proof of citizenship.
-- Children under 16 years of age do not require a picture ID.
UPDATE (March 28, 2008): The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced that they have delayed the land and sea passport requirement for Canada, Mexico and Bermuda that was previously scheduled to begin as early as Jan. 1, 2008, and have initiated a new "phased approach" to implementing the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI). As a result, beginning Jan. 31, 2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens have the option, in lieu of a passport or WHTI-compliant alternate document, to present a government-issued photo ID along with a birth certificate at land and sea borders. As part of a future phase, it is anticipated that the WHTI passport requirement for land and sea borders will be rescheduled for mid-year 2009.
As part of this new "phased initiative," beginning Jan. 31, 2008, DHS will also eliminate the routine practice of accepting oral declarations of citizenship at land and sea borders. All travelers will be required to present physical proof of citizenship as defined by DHS. As a result, if a passport or WHTI-compliant alternate document (passport card, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST) is not provided as proof of citizenship, the following options are available:
- U.S. and Canadian citizens, except for children as noted below, may present a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license, plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate or a copy of a birth certificate. The birth certificate does not need to be certified or contain a raised seal.
- U.S. and Canadian citizens 15 and under, as well as children ages 18 and under traveling in designated groups, may present a certified copy of their birth certificate. U.S. children may also present Consular Reports of Birth Abroad or Certificates of Naturalization.
- U.S. citizens on round-trip cruise ship voyages that originate and end in the United States may present a government-issued photo ID and either a 1) birth certificate, 2) Consular Report of Birth Abroad or 3) Certificate of Naturalization.
OUR RECOMMENDATION: We strongly recommend that all guests travel with a valid passport during their cruise. This greatly assists guests who may need to fly out of the United States to meet their ship at the next available port should they miss their scheduled embarkation in a U.S. port; guests entering the U.S. at the end of their cruise; and guests needing to fly to the U.S. before their cruise ends, because of medical, family, personal or business emergencies, missing a ship’s departure from a port of call, involuntary disembarkation from a ship due to misconduct, or other reasons.
For additional passport information visit www.travel.state.gov.
NON US-CITIZENS: You will need a valid passport and, in some cases, a visa. If you live in the U.S., you will also need the original copy of your Alien Registration Card (ARC or "Green Card") and any other documentation the countries on your itinerary require due to your alien status.
VISA WAIVER PROGRAM: Citizens from the Visa Waiver Program countries of: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunel, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom seeking to enter the United States will be required to have in their possession a machine readable passport valid for the duration of the voyage. A machine readable passport is one having an alphanumeric code on the bottom of the picture page. Visa Waiver Program travelers arriving in the U.S. on or after October 26, 2005 with passports issued on or after this date must present passports with a digital photograph. Visa Waiver Program travelers arriving in the U.S. on or after October 26, 2006 with passports issued on or after that date must present a biometric passport or obtain a visa for entry into the United States.
