After December 31, 2005, US residents will need passports for all travel to/from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America. You used to be able to get by with a birth certificate and a driver’s license, but no more. Now, if you have a trip planned for sometime after the first of the year and were planning on going the birth certificate with a driver’s license route, now would be a good time to apply for your very own $97 passport ($82 if you are under 16). I suspect these new rules will increase passport applications which, in turn, will lengthen the time it takes to get one issued.
And, my friend Russ, points out that after December 31, 2007 US residents will need passports for travel to Mexico and Canada. Now that creates some interesting scenarios. What happens to the International Peace Garden shared by North Dakota and Manitoba? Or, the islands shared between Vermont and Quebec and again between North Dakota and Manitoba? And, while it’s not verified, he’d heard that some homes in Quebec actually straddle the border – I need a cup of coffee from the kitchen - - where’s my passport?
I wonder if they will have a frequent border crossing program in place by then.
Here is a link to the State Department announcement.
