Passports Now Required

It’s official – as of Monday, October 1, passports are now required for any American citizen traveling by air out of the country, including Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The new rules were supposed to have gone into effect in January but massive delays at processing centers prompted officials to postpone enforcement until later in the year. As more and more travelers rushed to get their passports, the backlogs just got bigger, and the deadline got pushed back.

Even if you only plan to travel by boat for the rest of your life, you’re wise to get your passport now. The same rules will go into effect for boats and cars on January 31, 2008. Thankfully, the Department of Homeland Security has caught up with the backlog and are now on a normal processing schedule: 4-6 weeks for standard processing and no longer than 3 weeks for expedited service. For more info, go to www.travel.state.gov.