Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
2 Entry Requirements
PASSPORTS
With a few exceptions, the United States
requires international travelers to carry a
passport; most visitors must also have a
visa.
Department of Homeland Security
regulations require virtually every air
traveler entering the U.S. to show a pass-
port. As of January 23, 2007, all persons,
including U.S. citizens, traveling by air
between the United States and Canada,
Mexico, Central and South America, the
Caribbean, and Bermuda are required to
present a valid passport. As of January 31,
2008, U.S. and Canadian citizens enter-
ing the U. S. at land and sea ports of
entry from within the western hemi-
sphere will need to present government-
issued proof of citizenship, such as a birth
certificate, along with a government-
issued photo ID, such as a driver's license.
A passport is not required for U.S. or
Canadian citizens entering by land or sea,
but carrying one is highly encouraged.
For information on how to obtain a
passport, go to “
Passports
” in the “
Fast
Facts
” appendix (p. 290).
VISAS
The U.S. State Department has a
Visa
Waiver Program (VWP)
allowing citi-
zens of the following countries to enter
the United States without a visa for stays
of up to 90 days: Andorra, Australia, Aus-
tria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland,
France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singa-
pore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzer-
land, and the United Kingdom. (
Note:
This list was accurate at press time; for
the most up-to-date list of countries in
the VWP, consult www.travel.state.gov/
visa.) Canadian citizens may enter the
United States without visas; they will
need to show passports (if traveling by
air) and proof of residence, however.
Note:
Any passport issued on or after
October 26, 2006, by a VWP country
must be an
e-Passport
for VWP travelers
to be eligible to enter the U.S. without a
visa. Citizens of these nations also need to
present a round-trip air or cruise ticket
upon arrival. E-Passports contain com-
puter chips capable of storing biometric
information, such as the required digital
photograph of the holder. (You can iden-
tify an e-Passport by the symbol on the
bottom center cover of your passport.) If
your passport doesn't have this feature,
you can still travel without a visa if it is a
valid passport issued before October 26,
2005, and includes a machine-readable
zone, or between October 26, 2005, and
October 25, 2006, and includes a digital
photograph. For more information, go to
www.travel.state.gov/visa
.
Citizens of all other countries must
have (1) a valid passport that expires at
least 6 months later than the scheduled
end of their visit to the U.S., and (2) a
tourist visa, which may be obtained with-
out charge from any U.S. consulate.
With some exceptions, international
visitors traveling on visas to the United
States will be photographed and finger-
printed on arrival at Customs in airports
and on cruise ships under a Department
of Homeland Security program called
US-VISIT.
Exempt from the extra
scrutiny are visitors entering by land or
those (mostly in Europe; see above) who
don't require a visa for short-term visits.
For more information, go to the Home-
land Security website at
www.dhs.gov
and click “Travel Security & Procedures.”
For specifics on how to get a visa, go
to “
Visas
” in the “
Fast Facts
” appendix
(p. 292).
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS
Unless you're arriving from an area
known to be suffering from an epidemic
