Do I Need A Passport?

Before you travel, learn the entry requirements of the foreign country you are traveling to. Additionally, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires U.S. and Canadian travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. It is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA).

The goal of WHTI is to strengthen U.S. border security while facilitating entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized documentation that enables the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.

To learn more about WHTI, travel document requirements, and Trusted Traveler Programs, please visit the Department of Homeland Secuirty's Customs and Border Protection's WHTI homepage.

Traveling by Air?


All individuals, regardless of age, must have their own passport whentraveling internationally by air. 

  • If you have never had a U.S. passport, you must apply in person, using the DS-11: Application for a U.S. Passport. Please visit our First Time Applicants page for information on application requirements, application fees, and where to apply.
  • If you have previously owned or currently own a U.S. passport, you may qualify to renew your passport by mail.  Please visit our Renew a Passport page to learn more about the application requirements, application fees, and to find out if you qualify to renew by mail.

Traveling by Sea?


All adult U.S. citizens arriving by sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean must have a passport.*

  • Either a passport book or passport card may be used.
  • All U.S. citizens may apply for a passport card.
  • To learn more about the passport card, including how to apply and the differences between the passport book and passport card, please visit our U.S. Passport Card page.

*"Closed-Loop" Cruises: If you are a U.S. citizen, and you board a cruise ship at a U.S. port, travel only within the Western Hemisphere, and return to the same U.S. port on the same ship, you may present government-issued photo identification, along with proof of citizenship (an original or certified copy of your birth certificate, a Consular report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Naturalization). Please be aware that you may still be required to present a passport to enter the foreign countries your cruise ship is visiting. Check with your cruise line to ensure you have the appropriate documents.

U.S. citizen children under age 16 arriving by sea from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean may present an original or certified copy of his or her birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or Certificate of Citizenship.

Traveling by Land?


All adults arriving by land from Canada or Mexico must have a passport.

  • Either a passport book or passport card may be used.
  • All U.S. citizens may apply for a passport card.
  • To learn more about the passport card, including how to apply and the differences between the passport book and passport card, please visit our U.S. Passport Card page.

U.S. citizen children under age 16 arriving by land from Canada or Mexico may present an original or certified copy of his or her birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or Certificate of Citizenship.