Do I need a passport?

It would seem this is a simple question with a simple yes or no answer.  However, governments being what they are, things are never simple.  So here is what we recommend:  We strongly recommend you obtain and travel with a valid passport.  And here’s why….

Passports are required for all travelers, including citizens of the US and Canada, who enter or re-enter the US by air, land or sea.

However, there are a few exceptions for land and sea travel.

• U.S. citizens on cruises that begin and end in the same US port and travel to destinations in Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean, Bahamas or Bermuda are able to re-enter the US with proof of citizenship other than a passport.  Acceptable proof includes an original or certified birth certificate and a government issued photo ID (such as a driver’s license).  Passports are required for cruises that begin in one US port and end in another US port.

• Children under the age of 16 who are citizens of the US or Canada are exempt from the passport requirements for land and sea border crossing.  In lieu of a passport, children are able to use a birth certificate as proof of citizenship for entry into the US by land or sea.  Children entering or re-entering the US by air are required to have a valid passport.

• A lower-cost alternative to the passport, called a passport card, is acceptable for entries into the US by land or sea.  The passport card is not acceptable for air travel.

• Some cruise lines require a passport for all sailings.  They include, but are not limited to, Azamara Club Cruises, Crystal, Cunard, Oceania, Regent, Seaborn, Silversea, Star Clippers and Windstar.  Please check with Cruise Planners for the requirements of you chosen cruise line.

• Photocopies of alternative documents are not acceptable in any circumstance.

You’ll notice none of the exceptions above apply to air travel.  You always need a passport for entry or re-entry into the US by air.  So let’s assume you are traveling without a passport.  How would you deal with the following situations?   Your plane is late getting into Miami, you miss your sailing, and need to fly to Cozumel to catch-up with the ship?  Three days into your Caribbean cruise from Miami you need to return home by air from St. Lucia due to a business emergency?  As you can see, without a passport you will likely experience significant delays and complications relating to booking airline tickets and entering the US.  These situations are rare, but they do happen.

By the way, you do not need a passport to travel by air to Hawaii or a US territory, including the US Virgin Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and a few others.

Passports are required for sea travel to all international destinations not mentioned above, and for cruises that involve air travel that begins or ends in the US.

Passports must be valid for at least six months after the last day of travel.

While it’s not mentioned in the Constitution, an US citizen’s right to travel is formally included in US law.  In 1966 the US Supreme Court noted “It is a right that has been firmly established and repeatedly recognized”.  So it would seem a free permanent passport should be issued at the time birth for all US citizens, just like a birth certificate.   But like we said, things are never simple.  

If you have questions regarding your specific situation, please contact us here at Cruise Planners.  If you would like to apply for a passport, renew your passport or find more passport information, visit the US State Department website by clicking here.  Depending on which foreign countries you are visiting, you may also need a VISA.  Cruise Planners can help you determine your country’s visa requirements.