Passports for Mexico - Expedited Passports

Updated information as of June 1, 2009:

Passports are required for all air travel to and from Mexico. For travel by land or sea, adults should have a passport, passport card, enhanced driver’s license or a trusted traveler card like NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI. Children under the age of 16 may travel with only a birth certificate, as may children under the age of 19 who are traveling with an organized group like a school, church or sports group. However, keep in mind that Mexican regulations typically require US citizens to have a passport if they travel beyond the “border zone” into the interior of the country.

Instead of a passport, passengers on closed-loop cruises, which begin and end in the US,  may cruise with a state-issued photo ID and birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

Right now,  whether or not you need a passport to go to Mexico  depends on two factors: how you’re getting there and when you’re planning to go. Passports are already required for travel to Mexico if you are traveling by plane.  However, currently land and sea travelers can cross the border with state-issued ID (like a driver’s license) and proof of American citizenship  (like a birth certificate).

On June 1st, the rules will change as the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative becomes effective. After June 1st, everyone will need a passport to go to Mexico, whether you’re flying, sailing or walking across the border. The only groups of people who will still be able to cross the border using birth certificates after this date will be children under 16 traveling with family and children under 18 if they are on an organized trip with a school, church or sport group.

These exceptions only apply for children traveling by land or sea. Everyone flying to or from Mexico will still need a passport, regardless of age. As a safety precaution, it’s best  that all travelers to Mexico have a passport in case they need to fly home unexpectedly.

If you’re planning a trip to Mexico, it’s important to apply for a passport at least 6 weeks and preferably several months in advance.  Since the rules are about to change, the wait time for a US passport may get longer as the deadline approaches.

If you need a passport to Mexico in a hurry, you should consider using a private passport expediting service to submit your passport application. With an expediting company, your application will be processed more quickly, bypassing the normal wait times. With RushMyPassport.com, you can have your passport processed in as little as 24 hours!

Click here to view our passport processing options, and order your passport to Mexico the easy way!

Honeymoons provide newlyweds with an opportunity to get away from it all, focus on each other and celebrate their marriage.  Many couples make plans to travel to an international destination.  After all, there’s something fitting about beginning a new life together by exploring a new country.

There is no shortage of exotic destinations for an international honeymoon.  For example, many newlyweds enjoy basking on the beaches of the Caribbean, which is packed with resorts that cater to couples. If you’re on a budget, try an all-inclusive resort to help you better predict travel costs.

Dotting the Map, a travel blog, just started a series of posts on budget international honeymoons. Their first recommendation is Nassau, in the Bahamas, which has some reasonably-priced hotels and cheap or free activities like sunbathing on the island’s  gorgeous beaches, shopping and a pirate museum!

If you are planning a honeymoon overseas, both you and your new spouse will need passports.   Now, here’s where things can get a little tricky. Usually, the bride takes the groom’s name after the wedding. However, you have to book travel reservations and apply for passports before the wedding.

The bride’s name as shown on her passport must match the name on the travel reservations. So, the easiest way to book an international honeymoon is to make the reservations for the bride using her maiden name.  The bride should apply for a passport in her maiden name at least 6 weeks before the honeymoon and should hold off on changing her name until she is back in the US.

Once the couple has returned from the honeymoon, the bride can request a passport with her new name on it for free using the US Passport Agency’s Form DS-5504.

If you want your honeymoon to be as close to perfect as possible, both you and your intended need to have your passports ready in time.  Getting your passports through a private passport expediting company simplifies and speeds up the process, so you can worry about other things (like memorizing your vows and learning to dance for the reception!)

What’s your favorite international honeymoon destination? Let us know in the comments!