{"id":1060,"date":"2010-01-28T20:59:43","date_gmt":"2010-01-29T01:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rushmypassport.com\/blog\/?p=1060"},"modified":"2019-09-04T14:57:19","modified_gmt":"2019-09-04T14:57:19","slug":"new-passport-laws-for-2010-what-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rushmypassport.com\/blog\/new-passport-laws-for-2010-what-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"New Passport Laws For 2010: What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Passport
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If you are traveling in 2010, there are new passport laws you need to be aware of.\u00a0\u00a0 For example, at the beginning of last year, American citizens could enter Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean without a passport.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, on June 1st, 2009, the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI for short) went into effect. Now, most Americans traveling to these countries do need passports to travel. Here are the details of the new passport laws:<\/p>\n

Americans traveling to Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean by plane need a passport book. Americans traveling to these countries by sea need a passport book, a passport card, or a WHTI-approved alternative, like an enhanced driver’s license, a NEXUS card, a FAST card or a SENTRI card.\u00a0 For most Americans, the passport book and the passport card are easiest to obtain, but the passport card can only be used for land or sea travel, not for air travel. The passport book is a better choice, because there is always the possibility you might have to fly home in an emergency.<\/p>\n

There are a few exceptions to the new requirements, but they primarily apply for land or sea travel, not to air travel. So, again, even though you don’t technically need a passport if you fall into one of the following categories, it’s a good idea to carry one anyway in case you need to fly home.<\/p>\n

Here are the exceptions:<\/p>\n