Brief Moratorium on New Passport Requirement for Travel to Mexico

Good news for U.S. travelers to Mexico delays in getting your passport issued or renewed no longer prevents you from flying to Mexico. Until September 30, you'll be able to leave and return to the U.S. if you can show that your passport application is being processed.

As we've told you, the U.S. passed legislation last year that, among other things, would require U.S. citizens to carry passports when visiting Mexico. Since this past January, those traveling by air have needed passports to enter Mexico and return to the U.S.

But the increased demand for passports has swamped the U.S. passport-issuing facilities. The wait time for passports, according to the Department of State, is 10-12 weeks for routine service and 2-3 weeks for expedited service.

As a result of these delays, the State Department and Homeland Security have agreed to the interim measure. If your passport is being processed, you now can fly to Mexico using a government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license) and carrying proof from the State Department that you have a passport application in process.

You can get proof of application by visiting this government website and following the links to see your application's status and to print out the proof form.

This passport waiver is only for Mexico and a few other countries like Canada. And for now, the waiver is only in effect until September 30 of this year. As that date approaches, no doubt the State Department will review whether to extend it. We'll let you know what we hear.

Best Regards,

Suzan Haskins
Editor, Mexico Insider
International Living

P.S. This is good news for anyone wishing to join us in Puerto Vallarta this September 23-25 where we'll be holding our Live and Prosper in Mexico Seminar. If you've ever wondered if you have what it takes to make the move to Mexico, this is your chance to find out. Our experts will be there to help you through every step of the relocation process¾from customs and immigration to healthcare and property-purchasing issues. Please join us. For more information, e-mail Events@InternationalLiving.com or call 1-877-291-0246 (toll free in the U.S. and Canada).