IL Postcard

Get Your Passport Now to Travel to Mexico in 2007

Date: 08/25/2006

Do you have a passport? If you don't you should get one - especially if you have plans to travel to Mexico soon.

As part of the "Government's Passport Initiative," in response to a mandate by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), U.S. citizens will soon be required to have a valid passport to enter and re-enter the United States.

This travel initiative will be implemented for all air and sea travel on January 1, 2007, and it includes countries such as Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Panama--where for years, all you needed was a driver's license. The requirement will be extended to all land border crossings on January 1, 2008.

And we remind you that you cannot travel by air if your passport will expire within six months…so be sure your passport is valid for at least six months or longer from the date of your departure.

If you've never applied for a passport, here's a list of things you'll need: a certified copy of your birth certificate from the county in which you were born, (not the hospital) or your certificate of naturalization and a photo I.D., such as a driver's license. The process can take up to six weeks at a cost of about $100. Minor children will need a passport, too. Those 13 years of age and younger must have both parents present to apply. To obtain a passport for the first time, you will need to go in person to one of 7,000 passport acceptance facilities located throughout the United States. For more information on how to obtain a passport, go to the U.S. Department of State Travel website.

The Travel Initiative will not affect travel between the United States and its territories. U.S. citizens traveling between the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa will continue to be able to use established forms of identification to board flights and for entry. But why press your luck?

Get a passport if you don't have one and don't let the one you have expire.

Best Regards,

Marzena Romanowicz
International Living, Mexico

For answers to your questions about Mexico, please e-mail our office at Mexico@InternationalLiving.com.

P.S. Although it is best to have one, you won't need a passport yet if you attend the International Living Live & Prosper in Mexico Seminar scheduled for October 29-31, 2006. We'll give you the nitty gritty details about buying property in Mexico and we'll also talk about visas, health care, insurance, and much more. Plan to stay on after the seminar for our free optional real estate tours and to enjoy the colorful Dia de los Muertos fiestas. Learn more here.