Mexico and passport question

[gavin_and_maggies_mom]

My family and I are vacationing in early August to South Padre Island in Texas. It is only 30 miles from Mexico, and we would love to be able to go, but are not able to get passports in time (expediated is too expensive). I know there is a new law effective June 1st about them, but I have also been told that if you are not planning on staying overnight or going more than 30 kilometers from the border then you don't need one.

does anyone know the actual rulings or who i could possibly contact in order to figure this out? or if there is a thread on this somewhere that I couldn't find?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[weekitty]

I did a little googling, and i found out....... NOTHING.....I am concerned that you will have no trouble entering Mexico, however the problem will be returning to the US...I dont know how long it is taking lately to get a passport, when i got mine in 2002, they told me 3 months and i had it in 14 days ... Good luck

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: For the latest entry requirements, contact the Embassy of Mexico web site at http://portal.sre.gob.mx/usa/ or contact the Embassy of Mexico at 1911 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006, telephone (202) 736-1000 or any Mexican consulate in the United States for the most current information.

[Maxie1101]

Yes, you need a passport to return to the US from Mexico. If traveling by car, you should have no problem entering Mexico, though, without one...you just might not get home.

Found this on About.com:
June 1, 2009
Passport or other WHTI-compliant document (such as a passport card or trusted traveler card)is required for entry into the United States, including travel by land and sea (exceptions include some minors traveling by land, and cruise ship passengers on a closed-loop trip that begins and ends at same port in the US).

Here is the official site for US passports: Passport Home. The rule change you're questioning is the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. There is a place to click on it on the left side of the page, second option listed. Children under 16 can enter US with a US birth certificate, but parents should have a passport.

I believe the turnaround time for a passport is about 3 weeks maximum right now (even though they say 4 to 5 weeks). If I were you, I would just put in for a regular passport (not expedited). If it comes in time, great, nothing to worry about. If it doesn't, oh well, no Mexico this trip. The passport lasts for 10 years and is always a good thing to have (extra ID in case you lose your wallet, etc.).

[gavin_and_maggies_mom]

thanks guys, repped ya!

[hotcouponmama]

Yep - you absolutely need one. We're going through canada on our way home from AK this summer, same deal.

FYI - you can get a passport card. It's not any faster to get, but it is cheaper if all you want to do is go in and out of Mexico, Canada and the bahamas I believe.

[prindcar]

You MOST definately need passports. When I traveled with my family to Mexico last summer we ALL needed passports to return to the US (even the baby who was under 1yr ) It only took a week for all of us to get the passport w/o paying to expidite them and that was at a busy time of the year.
It might be worth it to do as they are usually good for 5 - 10 yrs so you would have for future travels as well.