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!
Tags: Mexico, travel requirements, US passport, WHTI
how do i get a pass port in mexico for my niece who is a US citizen and has lived there since she was 4. so how can she get back now that she is 18?
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Hi Larae,
Contact the nearest US Embassy and they should be able to help you. Have a great day!
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do I need my passport valid 6 months after I visit Mexico (if I visit in September does my passport have to be vaild to March?
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Hi Sue,
Not unless you’re staying until March.
For Mexico, it just has to be valid for the length of your stay. Have a great trip!
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what if i have already gone to mexico and did not take a passport and i want to go again without one what will happen im a us cizitien
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You won’t be able to fly in to Mexico without a passport book. If you’re traveling by car, you really should have a passport book or a passport card. Customs officials can’t keep you from re-entering if you’re a US citizen, but they can detain you and are more likely to do so if you have a history of trying to cross without a passport. You really should at least get a passport card.
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What if its a child that needs to come back for school and his passport is in progres is there any way he can come back without it. He has a WI Id. Will they let him on a plane with his Id and birth certificate.
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Hi Mary,
It’s highly unlikely that they’ll let him on the plane without a passport. However, he can cross the border by land with his ID and birth certificate. Or, contact the nearest US Embassy and see if they can help him get his passport more quickly. Good luck!
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Will you clarify, June 1st of what year?
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Hi Martha,
The regulations went in effect June 1st, 2009. Hope this helps!
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do you need a passport to stay in mexico if you marry in mexico?
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Well, as long as you’re a US citizen you should keep a valid passport on hand if you’re living overseas, so that you can return to the US if necessary. You can renew yours at a US Embassy in Mexico. As far as what Mexico requires a US citizen married to a Mexican citizen to have, you’ll need to check with their Immigration department.
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My sister and niece want to go to Mexico but my niece’s passport expired. She is a US citizen. She is barely going to renew so she won’t get it in time for when I leave next week. We are driving over. What can she do?
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Hi Jose, How old is your niece. If she’s under 16, she just needs her birth certificate. If she’s older, she is supposed to have a passport or a passport card to get back into the United States from Mexico. I would recommend either making an appointment at the nearest Passport Agency Office (call 1-877-487-2778) or give us a call and we’ll be happy to help!
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hi i am trying to plane a trip with my niece she is underage US citizen (5 years old) what would i need to travel with her
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If you’re traveling to Mexico, she needs a passport and you need a notarized letter signed by both of her parents granting permission for the trip.
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My son is 17 and going on a cruise with friends and their family. the cruise leaves from long beach stops in ensenda and return to long beach. does he need a passport card or can he use his dl and birth cert?
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My wife has a passport but it is in Michigan.She wants to go to Mexico from Arizona. She has a birth certificate and driver’s license. Will she be okay to re-enter the U.S.
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Hi Tom,
If she’s driving, she’ll be okay, since Customs can’t keep a US citizen out of her own country. However, they may detain her temporarily while they verify that her documents are legit, so she should allow extra time at the border just in case. She probably would not be allowed on an airplane to/from Mexico without her passport, though.
Good luck!
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Hi Kari,
He’ll be fine with his birth certificate and driver’s license.
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My friend is having a birthday party in Mexicali with her family there and is inviting friends from the U.S. to go with her. I do not have a passport and don’t think I should go. I don’t want problems coming back over the border.
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Hi Sandra,
That’s understandable. If you’d like to go without investing in a passport, as long as you’re driving you can apply for a passport card for $55. This no good for air travel but will get you through if you’re traveling by land or sea. Hope this helps!
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We are traveling to Mexico by plane 2/18-2/23. Our children’s passports expire March 2012. Just wanted to reconfirm above point “For Mexico, it just has to be valid for the length of your stay” to be on the safe side – thanks!
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Hi Melissa,
That is correct, but you can definitely call the Mexican Embassy at (202) 736-1600 to double-check. Have a great trip!
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Do you have to have a passport to cross into Mexico for Medical or Dental appointments? Kathie
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Hi Kathie,
If you’re driving across, technically you’re supposed to have a passport, a passport card, an enhanced driver’s license (this has an RFID chip in it like a passport and is only available in a few states) or a NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI card to get back into the United States. I assume you’re not flying, but if you are, you absolutely need a passport book.
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Hi, so my daughter is 15 and were planning to go to mexico by land this friday, but she doesnt obtain a passport, but has a birth certificate will she be able to renter the US.
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Hi Laura,
Yes, she’s under 16, so she can use a birth certificate for land travel.
Have a great trip!
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i will be going to delrio texas in july and would like to take my family over to ciudad acuna mexico if we all have our dl and photo ids as well as birth certificates can we get ib.n without passports.
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Hi Ginny,
If you’re driving, the kids will be fine with birth certificates if they are under 16, but anyone over 16 should have a passport or a passport card. You can get into Mexico without a passport, but without these you may be detained temporarily on the way back into the US while they verify your citizenship.
Have a great trip!
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So I don’t need a passport to go into Mexico I’m not worried about getting back to the u.s
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Hi Jaynie,
You are legally (by the Mexican government) required to carry a passport if you’re going beyond the “border zone,” about 12 miles into Mexico.
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Hello. We are driving to mexico and want to take a family friend who’s under 16, what does she need?…thanks
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Hi Steve,
She needs her birth certificate, and if her parents aren’t coming along for the ride you need a signed, notarized permission slip from them for the trip.
Have a great trip!
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I have a friend that is going to walk over to the border to mexico to shop just south of San Diego, does she need a passport she also might go to a town in Mexico about 60 miles south of the border by car will she need a passport for her trip?
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Hi Laurie,
She will need a passport, a passport card, a NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI card (the last three are “trusted traveler” programs)
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Does a year-old baby need a passport also? Traveling by air.
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Hi Jerry,
Yes, the little one will need a passport, also. See the instructions here: How to Get a Child Passport
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