Passport Requirements for US Citizens Go Back into Effect

If you're heading off to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean, don't forget to take your passport with you. Following a brief relaxation of the controversial passport regulations that require all U.S. citizens to have a passport for travel within the Western Hemisphere, where none had previously been required, the government has now reinstated the rule. Just last week you could have flown into Canada without a passport, but not this week.

The law actually went into effect in January, at a time at which many people were already beginning to plan their summer vacations. Because of the new passport regulations, there was a real rush to get one, and the government was backlogged with applications. After numerous headaches, the U.S. government decided to ease up until they were finally caught up.

They now claim to be caught up, and are reportedly processing passport applications at standard times. Therefore, the regulation has now been put back into effect. If you've yet to apply for one, they are saying to plan on receiving it in 8 weeks if you don't choose expedited service.

The passport rule for travel in the western hemisphere applies right now only to air travel. However, beginning in January 2008 you will need to show proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate) if you're entering, say, Canada or Mexico by car. The requirement for all U.S. citizens to have a passport for all forms of travel - land, air, and sea - will go into effect in summer 2008.