Travel

Will I Require a US Passport For Airline Travel?

Travel rules, rules and limitations have altered significantly within the last decade, particularly because the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. US passports are very popular because they are presently essential for certain kinds of travel. Other kinds of travel don’t require an american passport, although the rules is going to be altering again within the coming several weeks and years. If you’re planning airline travel soon, you are most likely wondering what rules affect you.

The alterations which have happened in land, ocean and airline travel rules came about because of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The program premiered in 2004 as a result of the drafting of Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. It had been enacted to bolster the safety people borders without which makes it prohibitive for all of us citizens and legit foreign people to mix American borders. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is really a joint effort between your U . s . States, Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and also the Caribbean region. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative dictates a uniform standard of documentation that is needed by everyone wanting to enter and then leave areas which are handled by this agreement.

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative continues to be implemented in a number of stages to be able to provide the public time for you to get ready for the alterations. The very first stage to affect airline travel was enacted in The month of january of 2007. The grade of needed documentation for airline travel hasn’t altered since, though changes to land and ocean travel have happened for the reason that time. Based on the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, all foreign airline travel (i.e. airplanes departing the U . s . States) needs a US passport both to depart and re-go into the US.

You should observe that travelers aren’t needed to hold an american passport for domestic flights. There’s no stipulation regarding domestic airline travel within the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. However, there’s speculation by travel experts and government groups that certain day an american passport might be needed for domestic flights. This insurance policy would lineup with many other countries, specifically in Europe and also the United kingdom. These countries presently require locals and people from other countries alike to provide a passport for everything travel related, including domestic airline travel and hotel stays.

It’s also worth noting the documentation needed for airline travel is stricter compared to rules for travel by land and ocean. By The month of january 31, 2008 land and ocean travel could be carried out with no US passport. Instead of an american passport, travelers must present a legitimate type of government photo identification Along with a evidence of citizenship document (birth record or naturalization certificate.) Air travelers happen to be caught within the confusion previously couple of many some have regrettably found themselves stranded in airports simply because they were not aware that airline travel needs vary from other kinds of travel.