Job Discussion Forums

[M@tt]

Hello,
Does anyone have experience with this? Three of my friends will be visiting in mid-May. I need to buy plane tickets today or tomorrow, but two of the friends don't have time to get their passports. I just want to double-check: I know I've read somewhere that it's possible for US citizens to come in without passports. Anyone (like from San Diego!) have experience with this? What documents are required in place of the passport? Will it matter that one of them is Egyptian/American (dual citizenship)?

Thanks for your help and any websites you can point me to.

[moonraven]

The problem may come when you go back to the US. Especially for the Egyptian/American traveler.

[MELEE]

Matt, here is some info.

"ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: The Government of Mexico requires that all U.S. citizens present proof of citizenship and photo identification for entry into Mexico. While U.S. citizenship documents such as a certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate, a Naturalization Certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a Certificate of Citizenship are acceptable, the U.S. Embassy recommends traveling with a valid U.S. passport to avoid delays or misunderstandings. U.S. citizens have encountered difficulty boarding onward flights in Mexico without a passport. U.S. citizens boarding flights to Mexico should be prepared to present one of these documents as proof of U.S. citizenship, along with photo identification. Driver's permits, voter registration cards, affidavits and similar documents are not sufficient to prove citizenship for readmission into the United States." from http://www.travel.state.gov/mexico.html



While I doubt this applies to your friends, just in case they happen to be minors...
"If a minor child is traveling with only one parent, the absent parent should provide notarized consent. If only one parent has legal custody, that parent should be prepared to provide such evidence to airlines and Mexican authorities. In cases in which a minor child is traveling to Mexico alone or in someone else's company, both parents (or the sole, documented custodial parent) should provide notarized consent. If a child traveling to Mexico has a different last name from the mother and/or father, the parents should be prepared to provide evidence to airlines and Mexican authorities, such as a birth certificate or adoption decree, to prove that they are indeed the parents.Mexican entry regulations require Spanish translations of all legal documents, including notarized consent decrees and court agreements. Enforcement of this provision is not always consistent, however, and English-language documents are almost always sufficient. " (I first came to Mexico as an unaccompanied minor and my documents were English langauge.)

[chicagogirl]

I went to Mexico and returned to the States with out a passport last month and didn't have any problems. I had my drivers license and certified copy of my birth certificate. I have also traveled to Costa Rica several times the same way and didn't have any problems there either. However, I do know that Costa Rica has changed the rule.

I now have a passport, I also have friends who live in California who travel over the border the same way with out any problems.

Good Luck!

[chica peligrosa]

I live in the San Diego area. You do not need a passport to get back and forth from Mexico. But like MELEE said, you need some proof of citizenship. You may or may not be asked for it. When crossing the border by land, I just show my driver's license and that seems to satisfy them. I do not look foreign, though. And immigration agents at the airports tend to check documents more thoroughly.

[Splinter]

They could obtain an affidavit proving citizenship through a Notary. I have done this before. All I needed was a driver's license, a Notary, and 20 dollars to pay for it.

Laws may have changed but I was able to use the affidavit in 2000 with no problem.

If you want a copy of what I used to take to a Notary as an example, let me know. Good luck.