Where Do You Need a Passport? - Expedited Passports

Most people are aware that you need a passport to go to Europe, Africa and Asia. But what if you’re staying closer to home?

A decade ago, getting into Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean was as easy as saying “I’m an American citizen,” but not anymore.  After 9-11, The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was enacted making it much harder to get in and out of the US without a passport.

Don’t get caught off-guard if you’re heading to one of these destinations:

Canada

Visiting Canada? Check your passport, eh? You definitely need one if you’re flying in or out of the country, unless you have a NEXUS trusted traveler card and you are flying to a Canadian preclearance airport with a NEXUS kiosk.

If you’re traveling by land or sea, you need one of the following to re-enter the US: a passport, a passport card, an enhanced driver’s license (currently only 4 states offer these), or a NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI trusted traveler card.

Mexico

If you’re flying to or from Mexico, you need a valid passport.

If you’re traveling by land or sea, Mexico requires all US citizens to have a passport if they’re traveling beyond the “border zone,” about 12 miles in. However, the US government requirements for re-entering the US are the same as for Canada above, regardless of whether you stay within the “border zone” or not.

Aruba

To visit Aruba, you need a passport if you’re flying and a passport or a passport card if you’re traveling by sea.

St. Martin

To hang out in this island paradise, you need a passport and a ticket back out of the country.

Bermuda

Bermuda requires all US citizens to present a passport to get into the country.

The Bahamas

If you’re traveling by air, you need a passport book.

If you’re traveling by sea, you can use a passport, passport card, enhanced driver’s license, NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI card.

The British Virgin Islands

The US Virgin Islands are part of the United States, but should you want to visit their British siblings, you’ll need a valid passport book if you’re traveling by air.

If you’re traveling by sea, you’ll need a passport, a passport card, an enhanced driver’s license or a NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI card.

The Cayman Islands

As of January 23, 2007, you must have a valid passport book to enter the Caymans.

Trinidad and Tobago

Unlike many Caribbean countries, a US passport book is the only accepted form of ID to enter this island nation, no matter how you’re traveling. (more…)

Without a doubt, Niagara Falls is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the world. The sheer amount of water surging around you is simply sublime. In fact, when Austrian composer Gustave Mahler first encountered the falls, he is said to have exclaimed, “At last, fortissimo!”

Over 28 million tourists visit the falls every year. If you’d like to be one of them, first make sure you have the travel documents you need for your desired itinerary.  Do you need a passport to go to Niagara Falls?  The Niagara River straddles the Canadian border, so the answer depends on which side of the attraction you’ll be touring.  The American Falls and Bridal Veils Falls are both on the US side of the border.  However, their bigger brother Horseshoe Falls is on the Canadian  side. There are plenty of waterfall-related activities and vantage points on both sides of the border, but the view from the Canadian side is generally considered to be the most impressive.

Obviously, if you’re going to stay in New York, you won’t need a passport. However, if you want the full Niagara Falls experience, you’ll need to cross the border into Ontario. In that case, you may need a passport.  Here’s what Niagara Falls Live has to say about the matter:

U.S. CITIZENS RETURNING TO THE U.S. AFTER VISITING NIAGARA FALLS CANADA ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A PASSPORT, PASSPORT CARD OR ENHANCED DRIVERS LICENSE AT THE IMMIGRATION CHECKPOINT. If you  are a U.S. citizen living in the U.S. and cross the border to Canada and attempt to re-enter the U.S. you will need one of the above listed forms of identification.

Until June of 2009, this wasn’t the case, and you can see from the emphatic combination of all-caps and red font that many travelers still show up unprepared.  Don’t be one of them- get a passport, a passport card or another acceptable form of ID.  Trusted traveler cards like NEXUS, FAST and SENTRI cards can also be used to cross, though they are much less common and more of a hassle to acquire.  Please note, if you are flying from the US to Canada, you’ll need a passport book, not a passport card and not one of the alternate IDs. See Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada? for more information. (more…)

In 2009, new passport laws went into effect that changed the documents required for travel between the US, Mexico and Canada. Called the Western Travel Initiative (WHTI), the regulations required most US citizens to have either a passport or a passport card for land and sea travel to either country, with a passport book being required for air travel.

Local businesses on both sides of the border have been ruing that day ever since, blaming the requirements for slowing down the number of consumers able to casually hop from country to country.

Now, a new report suggests that at least on the US/Canadian border, the problem may be an issue of perception rather than an actual increase in wait times.  According to the Spectator, an in-depth study commissioned by the Binational Economic and Tourism Alliance found that 90 percent of the time, cars and trucks had to wait just 5-10 minutes to get across the border.

Executive director Arlene White told the Spectator that the study was prompted by continued angst from businesses over the new passport requirements:

“We just kept hearing that it’s tough to cross and it’s a hassle. We wanted to know the realities of how much had changed and the economic impacts of the changes since 9/11 … We said let’s gather the facts instead of the myths.”

Slightly less encouraging was the study’s finding that only 53 percent of residents living near border areas had a document that would enable them to cross if they wanted to.  The most flexible travel document is a US passport book, which allows for travel by land, air and sea. If the cost of a new passport is prohibitive and you don’t plan on flying, a passport card will allow you to cross over by land or by sea for only $55 per person. Another alternative is a NEXUS card, though the application process is a little more involved and requires a personal interview and a retinal scan.

If you need a new passport, it’s important that you don’t wait until the last minute. Passport applications take about six weeks to process. For a $60 expedite fee, the Department of State’s expedited service will save you some time, but you still must allow three weeks. For faster processing, you must either drive to the nearest Regional Passport Agency office or use a private expediting company like RushMyPassport. By hand-delivering your paperwork to the Department of State, we can cut processing time down to as little as 24 hours with no need to wait in line or make an appointment.

Let us help you get your new passport quickly and easily- get started today!

Fall is harvest season, so it’s traditionally a time of gluttony. If you can’t wait for the requisite Thanksgiving feast at the end of the month, why not renew your passport and fly in to the Cornucopia Festival in Whistler, Canada?  As the name implies, Cornucopia is a celebration of gourmet food and wine. It runs from November 10th to November 13th, and if you like food, wine and fun, it’s definitely working checking out. (Via Gadling).

If you like to eat but don’t consider yourself a foodie, don’t worry about being out of your depth here. Per the Cornucopia website, “The annual event features a sumptuous variety of hands-on seminars, fascinating winemaker dinners, gala tasting events and sizzling after-parties. Cornucopia offers something for both the experience (sic)  gourmet and those seeking to better appreciate the epicurean delights of wine and food.”

With plenty of food events and wine tastings, you won’t go hungry or thirsty. However, the wine tastings don’t include food, so as you plan your time at Cornucopia, you should make sure to get something on your stomach beforehand. You’ll have to buy tickets individually for each event you want to go to, though you can combine tickets to the CRUSH Gala, the big Kahuna of wine tastings, with your hotel room to save a little bit of money.

Oh, did I mention that the after parties feature music live and burlesque dancers? Well, they do.

You’ll also probably need to renew your passport if it’s expired.  Passports are required for all flights into Canada. If you’re driving, you can bring either a passport or an alternative document like a passport card, a NEXUS card or an enhanced driver’s license (assuming you live in a state that offers them.) (more…)

When you apply for an emergency passport, whether it’s at a Passport Agency office or through an expediting company, the Department of State requires you to prove that you do in fact have an emergency. When you make an appointment at a Passport Agency office, you must bring a hard copy of your itinerary to show that you will be leaving the country within the next 14 days. If you’re using an expediter, you must include proof of travel in the package you send to the company.

For most trips, the State Department will only accept one of the following documents:

• A copy of your airline reservation, or a printed email confirmation if you’ve purchased an electronic ticket.
• A reservation with a travel agency
• If you’re traveling on business, a letter on company letterhead describing the dates you plan to leave the country and what you’ll be doing on your business trip. Someone else at the company needs to sign your business letter, even if you’re the CEO.

But what if you’re visiting our neighbors to the north or south? The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires most travelers to carry a passport or a passport card for land travel to and from Canada and Mexico, but if you’re driving, you obviously won’t have a plane ticket to present at the passport office. Increasingly, travelers tend to book their trips independently, without relying on a travel agency. Does that mean you’re out of luck if you need an emergency passport for a road trip to these countries? (more…)

In 2008, the US Department of State introduced a new passport option: the US passport card.  The wallet-sized card was meant to make international travel to Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean more convenient and less expensive. Passport cards are the same size and shape as a driver’s license, and they cost much less-only $45 for a card compared to $100 for a passport book.

Passport cards are gradually becoming more and more popular, but as Las Vegas’ Fox 5 News reports, there is still a lot of confusion about what type of travel they can actually be used for, and that means people are missing their vacations.

You see, passport cards may be much cheaper than a regular passport, but they are much more limited in terms of where and when you can use them. They are ONLY valid for land or sea travel to Mexico, Canada, or the Caribbean. They aren’t valid for travel to any other countries. Equally important, they can’t be used for air travel at all. So, even if you are flying to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean, you need a passport book, not a passport card. If you show up at the airport with a passport card, they won’t let you on the plane. That’s exactly what happened to Wendy and Jason Baxter, as described by Fox 5 News:

“You have to have a passport book,” the agent told the family.Last year, when Wendy and Jason Baxter ordered new passports, they were told they could order the passcards to fly to Canada instead of the more expensive passport, they said.“We asked what the difference was” between the two, Wendy Baxter said. Baxter said they were told passports were needed to fly overseas, while the passcard would get them into Mexico and Canada.“(You) get everything packed, everything’s done, (and) you get to the airport … and they say, ‘You can’t go,’” Wendy Baxter said.

Did passport card confusion catch you by surprise? If you need a new passport in a hurry, you have 3 different options: order a new passport with expedited processing, which costs an additional $60 and will get your application processed in 3 weeks instead of the normal 6, make an appointment at a passport agency office, or use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.

Of these options, an expediting company is the most convenient way to get superfast service. At RushMyPassport, we walk you through the application process and hand-deliver your application to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your new passport today!

Are you over Napa Valley? If you’d like to go on a wine tour somewhere new and different, why not give the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia a try?

As the New York Times reported, this wine-producing valley has grown up in the past couple of decades. Once the home of the type of cheap wine that college students tend to consume in quantity, the Okanagan Valley now produces a variety of wines capable of pleasing more mature palates.

One great thing about the region is its variety-you can taste everything from high-quality fruit wines to syrah to chardonnay and Pinot blanc. Another bonus is the scenery. The New York Times explains:

It’s the kind of environment that affects your taste buds: the best glasses I tasted seemed to have the same brimming clarity as the lake itself. And it’s smart to enjoy the wine in situ: between the bureaucracy of wine imports and the jingoistic fervor with which British Columbian wine is consumed in swank restaurants in Vancouver and Whistler, little of the stuff makes it down south of the border.

You can either fly in to Canada and rent a car or drive your own car up. Some of the vineyards have guesthouses, should you not want to designate a driver. If you are flying in to Canada, you will need a US passport book for sure. IF you are driving in, you can use a passport book or one of the following Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant documents:

• A US passport card
• An enhanced driver’s license (EDL), only available in certain states
• A NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST card

Of course, you need a passport book to fly and there’s always a chance you might have to fly back home for an emergency, so a passport book is your best bet.

If you haven’t used your passport in some time, check it-it may be time to apply for your US passport renewal. Unlike new applications, US passport renewals can generally be processed by mail. The processing time is the same as it would be for a new passport- at least 6 weeks for regular processing and 3 weeks for the government’s expedited processing.

However, if you need your US passport renewal processed more quickly, you do have a couple of options. You can either make an appointment at a passport office for a same-day passport (assuming you have a passport office nearby, which may not be the case), or you can use a private passport expediting company to process your US passport renewal.

An expediting company is much faster and more convenient. There’s no need to make an appointment at a passport office and no need to drive out of your way.  Once you send your documents in, the expediting company delivers them to the Department of State. RushMyPassport can get your application processed in as little as 24 hours.

Apply for your US passport renewal today!

According to this article on NorthlandsNewsCenter.com, Minnesotans will soon be able to purchase an enhanced driver’s license, which can be used instead of a US passport to cross the border into Mexico or Canada.

The new license will cost an extra $15 above and beyond the normal costs for getting a license in Minnesota. That makes it a much cheaper option than getting a US passport.

In an article on local ABC affiliate WDIO.com, Minnesota state Rep. Roger Reinert, the co-author of the bill, explained why he feels that the EDL option is important and valuable:

“Right now to cross the border, Minnesotans have to pay $100 for a passport or $45 for a passport card just to cross the border. That’s choking off economic activity and travel vital to northland communities and businesses.”

However, there are some key differences between an enhanced driver’s license and a US passport, and it’s important to know what they are so that you can make an informed decision about which document to carry.

An enhanced driver’s license is only a valid substitute for a US passport in a few specific circumstances. For example, it can be used to travel across the Canadian or Mexican border by land or sea, or to travel to and from the Caribbean by sea.

However, it can not be used for travel anywhere else. Also, unlike a passport, an enhanced driver’s license is not valid for international air travel at all. So, unless you are only planning to drive a little way into Canada, it’s a good idea to carry a US passport with you anyway. After all, what if you had to fly back?

If you need a US passport, you should apply well before you plan to leave the country. Regular passport processing takes about 6 weeks, while the government’s expedited service takes about 3 weeks. If you need it sooner, you have the option of requesting an appointment at the nearest regional Passport Agency office (if you’re in Minnesota, the closest one is in Minneapolis) or using a private passport expediter like RushMyPassport.

Of the two options for getting a last-minute passport, an expediting company is the most convenient choice. RushMyPassport will guide you through the application process and personally deliver your application to the Department of State for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Apply for your US passport now!

Have you gotten one of the new US passport cards yet? If you have one, and you are driving across an international bridge into Mexico or Canada, border officials want you to take that card out of your wallet and “wave it in the air like you just don’t care” before you get to the inspection booth.

No, this isn’t some elaborate prank designed to make you look foolish for border officials’ amusement.  According to the El Paso Times,  this procedure actually helps you get through the border crossing more quickly.

Here’s how it works: about 70 feet before each inspection booth, the government has set up a sensor. Waving your card in front of the sensor allows the officer in the booth to pull up your data before you get to the booth, cutting the time for a routine crossing by about 5 seconds per vehicle.

That doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it all adds up-if everyone who crossed the El Paso border with a passport card used the system, it would save a lot of time. William Molaski, the Customs and Border Patrol port director in El Paso, told the El Paso Times that

“As more people use their cards correctly, wait times will go down. A savings of only five seconds per vehicle reduces overall crossing times by about 30 (collective) hours a day.”

The system currently only works with US passport cards, not the standard US passport books. US passport cards are small, wallet-sized cards introduced to make crossing the border easier for people who have to do it frequently.  They are only good for land and sea travel to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, and they are no good for plane travel.

If you are on a cruise or traveling more than a short distance over the Mexican or Canadian border, it makes sense to carry a passport book with you instead of a passport card, since you would need it to fly back home in case of an emergency.

Under a relatively new law that went into effect in June of last year, passports are required for most American travelers visiting Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean.  For more information about the requirements, see the following articles:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Mexico?

Do You Need a Passport to Go to the Caribbean?

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

If the new regulations have caught you by surprise and you needed to have your passport application in, like, yesterday, RushMyPassport.com can help. With RushMyPassport, you get personal service and attention from an experienced passport specialist, help with your application and much faster service than you can get submitting your application at the post office. In fact, RushMyPassport can have your application processed in as little as 24 hours!

Apply for your US passport today!

It may still be cold and gloomy outside in many parts of the country, but make no mistake: spring is coming! That means it’s time to start planning for Spring Break.  And if your Spring Break plans are taking you outside of the country, you may need to get a passport.

To help you with your travel plans, here are the passport requirements for some of the more popular spring break travel destinations:

Mexico

Warm blue water,  gorgeous beaches and margaritas galore-what more could you want in a spring break destination? You probably need to get a passport before you can go party in Cancun, though.  For more details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to Mexico?

US Citizens Visiting Mexico Face New Passport Requirements

Canada

If you prefer skiing and other winter sports to lazing around on the beach, Canada has some excellent ski resorts.  Most trips to Canada will require a passport.  For details of Canada’s passport requirements, see Do You Need a Passport to Go to Canada?

Europe

If you have the funds, springtime is one of the best times to visit Europe. The weather is nice, and because “high season” for travel to most European destinations is in the summer, visiting Europe in the spring means you get lower prices and fewer crowds.

Travel to Europe always and without exception requires a US passport.

The Caribbean

The Caribbean is another great place to go for a laid-back vacation filled with sun and sand.  However, most Caribbean travelers will need to get a passport before they leave.  For details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go to the Caribbean?

Cruises

A spring break cruise allows you to easily visit many different destinations for a great price.  Passport requirements for cruises depend on where you go. For more details, see:

Do You Need a Passport to Go On a Cruise?

If you need to get a passport for Spring Break, you’d better hurry-you don’t have much time. Regular passport processing can take at least 6 weeks. The government’s expedited processing option takes 2 to 3 weeks and costs an additional $60 plus overnight delivery fees.

If you need to get  a passport sooner than that, the most convenient way  is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport.com.  An expediting company will deliver your documents to directly to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

Get a passport today!