New Passport Regulations

    If you are thinking about heading to Cabo this year but somewhere you have heard that there are new documentation requirements for crossing the border, this is the “New Deal”.

    Up until recently the documentation necessary for heading to Mexico, or back into the United States was somewhat casual. This is in the process of changing, and it's a good idea to get up to speed on the new charges before heading to Cabo.

    The first phase of the "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative" (WHTI) has already been implemented. U.S. travelers who are heading back to the United States from Mexico & Canada by air must provide a valid passport when clearing U.S. Immigration on the way back home.

    The second phase of WHTI deals with adults re-entering the United States by land & by sea. The exact date for this second phase is not yet set because the State Department is still working on the many details. They state that land & sea travelers will be required to have passports sometime between January 2008 & June 2009.

    Although the information provided here is strictly about re-entering the United States, the documentation necessary to enter Mexico will probably be like the regulations of the U.S. Since we are in the midst of it all right now, we'll have to wait until all is said & done.

    In the meantime it's safe to say that if you are traveling to Mexico by air (commercial airlines, or private aircraft) carrying a valid passport is a must.

    If you are traveling to Mexico in 2007 by car, or water you can still go by the old rules.