Mexico and U.S. passport requirements.

This is the year that another phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) comes into play, and plenty of people are asking about the passport requirements for traveling in Mexico.

Here's a synopsis of what I've found according to the U.S. Department of State's Web site:

1. If you are traveling by air outside of the United States, you'll need to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States.

2. Currently if you are traveling by land or sea, you must show proof of identity and proof of U.S. citizenship when entering the United States from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and Caribbean countries.

Now according to the Department of Homeland Security's Web site, acceptable documents include:

• U.S. Passport Book


• U.S. Passport Card


• Any other document approved by the Department of Homeland Security

And if you're a U.S. citizen without a single document verifying identity and citizenship, you'll need to show both an identification and citizenship document such as a driver's license and copy of birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

This is all going to change June 1, 2009. At that point U.S. citizens traveling by land and sea will need to have a passport, passport card (passport cards are not valid for travel by air) or any other travel document approved by the DHS. U.S. citizen children under the age of 16 will be able to show an original or copy of their birth certificate, naturalization certificate or citizenship card to enter the U.S.

The bottom line: Make it easy on yourself and get a passport for every member of the family. Passports can take several weeks to get, so you should start the process right away. Check out this link for more information on obtaining a passport. You can request expedited processing (for an extra fee, of course) if you need your passport quickly.