Do you have what you need to travel? Do you know what you need to travel? As a professional travel concierge, this is a discussion I have quite often with clients. One common item required for all travel is a government issued photo ID. As simple as that sounds, it tends to create some confusion. I’m going to try and provide you with some simple guidelines for basic types of travel for US Citizens. This is not meant to be a fact sheet or comprehensive list, only a guide. All specifics should be discussed with me when we book your travel.
Let’s start with the simple answers:
1. If you are traveling domestically within the USA, you need a government issued photo ID- a driver’s license will suffice.
2. If you are traveling to the US Virgin Islands, and plan to visit no foreign countries or islands, a driver’s license will be all you need for your government issued photo ID.
3. All international travel that will involve a flight requires a passport – no exceptions.
Here is where it can get a little confusing for some people – cruising.
1. If you are doing a closed loop cruise – which means you start and end in the same port of call (Galveston for example), technically you can board the ship with an original or certified copy of your birth certificate and your driver’s license. HOWEVER! This is not recommended – a passport book is always recommended whenever you are going to leave the country.
2. If you are doing a cruise that starts in one port and ends in a different port, a passport is required.
3. If you are doing a cruise that starts in a foreign country a passport is required.
Cruising without a passport can be very risky. A passport is your only proof of citizenship; a birth certificate only proves you were born. You should never leave the US without being able to prove you are a US citizen and / or can reenter the country legally. A birth certificate is only guaranteed to let you on the ship, as per the cruise lines policies. The cruise lines do not make the immigration or customs / border patrol policies and laws. If something unexpected happens during your cruise, you would have no way to fly home from any foreign country, island, or port of call.
Some people get confused between the passport cards and passport books. In a nutshell, the passport cards are valid for land border crossings to Canada and Mexico. A passport card is not valid for air travel either, you need a passport book. While the cruise line will accept it as identification, no other country or airline will accept it. Do yourself a favor and get a passport book, the passport card will not serve you well.
I hope this information is helpful and useful. As always, when it comes time to plan your vacation, we will go over this information in detail.
Safe Travels!
Kelley