Who Needs a Passport?

Who needs a passport? The short answer is any American citizen who plan to travel internationally. A valid passport is required to exit and re-enter the United States except for a couple of exceptions.

We've covered what a passport is. It's a travel document that allows you to leave and return to the United States; that is, pass the port of entry.

U.S. citizens are not required to present passports to travel from one state to another, to U.S. territories, within the border zone of Mexico or on closed-loop cruises. However, if you are an American citizen, you will need this travel document now more than ever. You've always needed one to fly to Europe or Asia or beyond.... now you need passport to fly to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.

It used to be that to get into Canada or Mexico or to most of the Islands of the Caribbean all you needed was your birth certificate and proof of identity such as your driver's license. September 11, 2001 changed all that.

To cross the borders into Canada and Mexico by land or by sea (that is driving or cruising) you currently need a passport, a passport card or a WHTI-compliant document. Or you need a government-issued Photo ID, such as a driver's license, along with proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate.

WHTI stands for Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. There are specific regulations concerning what a WHTI-compliant document is. If you think you qualify for one of these, you should verify the rules to be sure.

Starting in July of 2008, the U.S. government began issuing U.S. Passport Cards. These wallet-size cards are convenient and less expensive, but they cannot be used for international AIR travel.

Children traveling with you need passports too. Even infants.

And no... they can not be expired. Each traveler's documents must be current and valid. Depending on the rules of the country you're traveling to, you may be required to have a validity of 3 to 6 months remnaining in your passport beyond the return from your trip, especially if you need a travel visa. That means that you need a passport that does not expire for several months after you return to the United States.

It is essential that you have the proper documentation before you arrive at the airport. There are several sources of information such as the airline you're traveling with or the TSA or a travel agent. If you plan to travel anywhere outside of the borders of the United States, the best thing you can do in order to avoid all problems is to just get a passport. If you need to get one in a hurry, click to get a passport fast.