Travelers Required To Show Passports Beginning Jan. 23

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

WASHINGTON — Nearly all air travelers entering America will be required to show passports beginning January 23, including returning Americans and people from Canada and other nations in the Western Hemisphere.

The date was disclosed yesterday by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in an interview with the AP. The Homeland Security Department plans to announce the change today.

Until now, the department had not set a specific date for instituting the passport requirement for air travelers, though the start had been expected to be around the beginning of the year. Setting the date on January 23 pushes the start past the holiday season.

The requirement marks a change for Americans, Canadians, Bermudians, and some Mexicans.

Currently, American citizens returning from other countries in the hemisphere are not required to present passports but must show other proof of citizenship such as driver’s licenses or birth certificates.

Visitors from most countries in the hemisphere are required to show passports. However, people from Canada, Bermuda have been allowed to use other forms of identification.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use