B O R D E R   C R O S S I N G   R U L E S

NEW BORDER CROSSING RULES
effective January 31, 2008

If you are interested in walking or driving across the border into Mexico, you need to know about new border crossing requirements.

Starting January 31, 2008, citizens of the U.S. and Canada ages 19 or older will have to present a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license) along with proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate or naturalization certificate) in order to enter or depart the U.S. by land or sea.

Children ages 18 and younger need proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.

The requirements apply to Americans driving, walking, or sailing to and from Mexico and Canada, and to those traveling by sea to and from Bermuda and the Caribbean.

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the new rules end the practice of "accepting oral declarations of citizenship alone." Details at http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/.

But you do need a passport if you're flying into the U.S. from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean under rules that went into effect in 2007. Those regulations resulted in a deluge of passport applications, with the State Department issuing a record 18.4 million passports in fiscal year 2007, compared to 12.1 million in 2006. Thirty percent of Americans now hold passports, up from 27%. Last summer, the time it took to get a passport doubled, but processing times are now back to normal (four to six weeks). Details at http://www.travel.state.gov/passport.

 

MEMBERS:
NEW MEXICO BED & BREAKFAST ASSOCIATION
SILVER CITY / GRANT COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
NEW MEXICO LODGING ASSOCIATION

         

UPDATED MARCH 2008     COPYRIGHT©2008 CASITAS DE GILA, INC.