CHANGE
IN ID FOR LAND/SEA PORTS OF ENTRY
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of State
are reminding the traveling public that as of Jan. 31, all adult travelers
will be required to present proof of citizenship, such as a birth
certificate, and proof of identity, such as a driver's license, when
entering the US through land and sea ports of entry. ORAL DECLARATIONS
OF CITIZENSHIP FROM US AND CANADIAN CITIZENS SEEKING ENTRY VIA LAND
OR SEA WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED.
The
departments said that "this change is a necessary step to prepare
travelers and ease the transition to the future requirements of
the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)."
WHTI
proposes to establish documentation requirements for travelers entering
the US who were previously exempt, including citizens of the US,
Canada and Bermuda. In December, Congress voted to extend the WHTI
deadline until June 2009.
In
related news, the State Department is creating a passport card for
traveling by land or sea -- not for air travel -- between the US,
Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The card, valid for 10
years, will cost $45 for an adult and $35 for a child, compared
with $97 for an adult passport and $82 for a child passport.
Air travelers need a passport, regardless of their age.
US
citizens will be able to apply for the passport card starting Feb.
1, but the cards will not be ready until later in the spring.
Post
offices and other places that accept passport applications also
will take applications for passport cards.
Specific
documentation requirements for land, sea and air travel may be found
at www.dhs.gov or travel.state.gov.
FINAL
Passport Rule Issued for Land and Sea Borders
Yesterday,
the Departments of Homeland Security and of State issued the final
rulemaking concerning the requirements of passports for land and
sea border crossings under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.
After years of development following 9/11, this ruling is the end
of the process and can be considered FINAL when helping your clients
ensure they have the proper identification when traveling.
Effective
June 1, 2009, the following rules take effect for cruise passengers:
U.S.
citizens on cruise voyages that begin and end at the same U.S. port
(closed-loop itineraries) must show proof of citizenship* and government-issued
photo ID (such as a driver’s license). A passport will not be required
for passengers that fall into this category.
*Documents
include: Original or certified copy of birth certificate; Naturalization
papers; Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by Department of
State
All
other passengers and/or itineraries (such as cruises which begin
in one U.S. port and return to a different U.S. port or any cruise
that begins or ends in a foreign port) will require a passport or
other recognized document. For a list of accepted documents, see
www.travel.state.gov.
The
good news for a majority of cruise passengers – American citizens
that leave and return on their cruise from the same U.S. port –
is that the travel document requirements will remain largely unchanged
from how the industry is operating today.
CLIA
(Cruise Lines International Association) continues to encourage
travelers to obtain passports to allow the broadest travel opportunities.
Your clients can visit www.travel.state.gov to obtain information
on how to apply at more than 9,000 passport acceptance facilities
in the United States.
|
BEACHES
ETC
