Released: January 02, 2007

Passports needed for trips to Canada, Mexico

Source: Roger Yu, USA Today

Five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government is on the verge of implementing security-inspired changes to passports that will affect millions of international travelers.

On Jan. 23, air travelers to and from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean will for the first time need a passport to cross the U.S. border. Starting in the spring, all U.S citizens applying for a passport will get an electronic version that’s embedded with a “smart” chip designed to thwart forgery.

The new regulations represent the most significant changes in border control in years, as federal officials try to bring the process of checking identification into the digital age.

Many people heading to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean now travel with just a driver’s license for identification. Under the new rule, U.S. citizens traveling by air need a passport. Though a driver’s license will no longer suffice, the government does leave some wiggle room. The Nexus Air card, issued under a USA-Canada cooperative program to prescreened travelers, is acceptable. The passport rule will apply to land and sea travelers no later than June 1, 2009.

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