Who needs a passport? If you plan on travelling internationally, you need one. But of course, nothing is ever quite that simple.
We’ve covered that it’s a travel document issued by your home country that allows you to leave and return. Citizens of all countries need one to travel out of their country and into another, but there are exceptions.
For instance, citizens in the European Union do not need theirs to pass from one country in the EU into another. U.S. Citizens and others often do not need to show theirs to travel between countries in the EU either, but you need one to GET INTO one of the European Union counties in the first place.
If you are a U.S. citizen, you will need this travel document now more than ever.Passports have always been required for flight to Europe, Asia, and more…. now you need one to fly to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
In the past you could enter Canada, Mexico and most Caribbean islands with your birth certificate and a photo ID card. Everything changed after September 11, 2001.
To cross the borders into Canada and Mexico by land or by sea (that is driving or cruising) you currently need a passport, a passport card or a WHTI-compliant document. Or you need a government-issued Photo ID, such as a driver’s license, along with proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate.
Don’t you love “government speak”? WHTI stands for Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. There is a whole list of rules about what a WHTI-compliant document is. If you think you qualify for one of these, you’d better check the rules at the U.S. Department of State and be sure.
Starting in July of 2008, the U.S. government began issuing U.S. Passport Cards. These wallet-size cards are convenient and less expensive, but they can NOT be used for international AIR travel.
Children traveling with you need passports too. Even infants.
And yes…they must be current.Each individual must have their own proper documents. Depending on the rules of the country you’re traveling to, they might have to be valid for 3 to 6 months after you return from your trip. That means they can’t expire for several months after your return.
It is up to you to make sure you have the proper documentation. You should not take the word of the airline you’re traveling with or the TSA or a travel agent.You can get advice from any of them, but if the advice is wrong, you will be the one who has their trip ruined.
While I’m trying to give you the best advice I can, it’s confusing, and the best advice is to check with the U.S. Department of State or your local government agency.This is the best advice I can offer you… If you’re going to travel anywhere outside of the borders of the United States or your home country, just get a passport.
