kirk

I am a U.S. citizen and going to Mexico in three weeks. I was told that I don't need a passport, just a birth certificate or S.S. card. Is this true? Thanks

D

Technically this is correct you need a certified copy of your birth certificate with a raised seal and a photo ID like your dirver's license.<BR>Practically- a passport is better. If you are going to Cancun or some other resort you will probably be o.k. If you go off the beaten path at all you will want a passport. For example I was in non-tourist areas in October and I could not cash traveler's checks without a passport. Also if you are traveling where you will encounter military roadblocks a passport is the preferred ID.

Ros

I agree with D. Some people in our group who only had birth certificates and driver's licences as I.D. had great difficulty changing traveller's cheques in smaller towns in the Yucatan earlier this month.

TC

I was severly scolded by a customs agent when returning to the US from Canada without my passport last year. Like Mexico, one never used to need a passport to cross the border to Canada, but after 9/11 the attitude has changed. He explained that no one cares if you have a passport to get &quot;OUT&quot; of the U.S., but they sure care if you want to get back &quot;IN&quot;. I'd get a passport if you have the time just to be safe.

Jim Rosenberg

While it is true that a passport is not currently REQUIRED for travel to Canada and Mexico by U.S. citizens, it is your best form of identification for crossing borders with a minimum amount of hassle. It is therefore in your own best interests to obtain and use a passport.

Marilyn

Doesn't really matter whether the Customs or Immigration agent is being a jerk -- they still have all the power and you are sitting there with none. So personally, I wouldn't even consider leaving the US right now without a passport, even to Canada or Mexico.