Passports Will Be Required for all U.S. Citizen Travelers

By December 31, 2006, all U.S. citizens traveling by air or sea to the United States will be required to have a U.S. passport to enter the United States, according to a joint proposal by the US Department of State and the US Department of Homeland Security. The new requirement will affect primarily U.S. citizens traveling to Caribbean nations and a few other Western Hemisphere countries that currently allow U.S. citizens to enter without a passport. El Salvador is not among these countries and requires U.S. citizens to have a valid passport for entry.

The US Department of State and US Department of Homeland Security have proposed that by December 31, 2006, all US citizens will be required to have a valid US passport for travel by air or sea between the United States and all other countries of the Western Hemisphere, including the Caribbean islands and Bermuda. This proposal is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which is intended to bring travel documentation into compliance with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and strengthen border security while facilitating legitimate travel. Similar requirements for border crossings between the United States and Canada and the United States and Mexico are scheduled to take effect not later than December 31, 2007.

A message providing detailed information on the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and how it may affect travelers is available on the State Department's consular website at www.travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc_2223.html and the Department of Homeland Security's website at www.dhs.gov.