Passport, Visa, and border crossing requirements

Passport, Visa, and border crossing requirements

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The U.S. government requires U.S. citizens entering the United States via land, sea, or air to have a passport, passport card, or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security. Expedia strongly recommends that every traveler have a passport; if you don't have one, allow a minimum of six to eight weeks to obtain one.

• Children: All U.S. citizen children ranging in age from birth to 18 years are required to present their own passport when entering the United States at airports.
• Air Travel: Passports are required for U.S. citizens traveling to or from all international destinations, including Mexico or Canada.
• Land & Sea Travel: U.S. citizens returning home from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, or Bermuda, by land or sea, will be required to present one of the travel documents listed below:
  • U.S. Passport
  • U.S. Passport Card
  • Enhanced Driver's License (EDL)
  • Trusted Traveler Program Cards
  
  EXCEPTION: U.S. citizens on closed-loop cruises (cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port) and visit Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and/or countries of the Caribbean will be able to enter or depart the US with a birth certificate and government issued photo ID.

As of July 2009, Mexican nationals are required to present a visa in order to travel to Canada. For more information on this new policy, and how to obtain a visa, please read the visa requirements for Mexico.

For further information, see U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Web site

For information on passports, U.S. citizens can visit the State Department's Web site, or call the U.S. National Passport Information Center: (877) 4USA-PPT. Please allowat minimum six to eight weeks for processing of the passport application. If you need to travel urgently and require a passport sooner, expedited processing is available.

For information on obtaining and renewing a passport, visit the Passport Announcements page.

For information on entry requirements for a specific country, please go to the Entry/Exit Requirements section in the country-specific information for the country you are interested in. You may also contact the U.S. embassy or consulate of that country for further information.

To find U.S. entry requirements for non-citizens, read the U.S. visa information page.  

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