…when they attempt to return to the U.S.? (Or from Canada, as applicable?)
If memory serves you now need a passport when re-entering the United States from Mexico. The Mexican authorities don’t bother to check anyone’s papers when entering that country, but the ICE inspectors do need to see your passport on the return journey. Knowing the road into Tijuana as I do, it’s conceivable that a careless, preoccupied, or GPS-challenged motorist might not notice the LAST USA EXIT sign and a few minutes later find himself/herself outside the country. I’m not saying it’s likely, but anything’s possible, especially if the driver isn’t from around here. I myself, when attempting to reach Deerfield, IL from O’Hare, almost made it as far as the Wisconsin border. I remember there seemed to be an inordinate amount of truck traffic, with high profile boxy trailers, and I couldn’t see most of the signs.
So let’s say I’m that driver. After some hours of waiting, I finally make it up to the row of inspection booths and I’m forced to admit: “I am an American citizen, but I regret to inform you I don’t have my passport with me.” But so as not to make the scenario more ridiculous than necessary, I am able to add: “But I do have my CA driver license and a couple of debit cards on U.S. bank accounts. plus other typical odds and ends that one carries in a wallet. I also have my phone, which is chock full of American phone numbers.”
What would happen next? I assume I’d be told to drive into some sort of extra-special inspection area. Would I be questioned at length, and would this interrogation automatically be conducted in an adversarial or accusatory manner? Would I be asked to provide some numbers for American contacts, so they could call them to verify my bona fides? I have no doubt they’d let me in eventually, but how long would it take?
My elderly parents drove to San Diego last September and overshot and arrived at 9 at night in Mexico. They turned around, got in line at the border and waited over an hour in line and had no trouble getting through with their normal identification and California plates. And very white wrinkly skin.
Third-party web sites are saying an American without a passport may be required to go to a US consulate or the US Embassy in Mexico in order to gain entry back into the USA,
There was a thread a week or two ago about a fellow who was born in USA but went back to Israel with his parents at age 1 - then his next visit as an adult he was denied entry because (speculation by threadsters) he was travelling on another citizenship passport and it was stated “if you are an American citizen you must enter the country using an American passport”.
Of course, that’s for dual citizens. OTOH, I’ve entered Britain several times using my Canadian passport not British one, so I guess the rest of the world does not have that sort of hangup?
It used to be a drivers’ license was enough to drive over the border, but that changed a few years ago.
Presumably they could tell you to turn around, but if Mexico refuses to take you, then I don’t know what happens. I assume there’s some sort of offense for entering without proper documentation? After all, there’s laws against pretty much everything…
“Home is where, when you go there, they have to take you in.” - Robert Frost.
In general, the point about citizenship is that you have a right of entry to the state(s) of which you are a citizen. The point about a passport is to establish that you are a citizen, but if you can establish it by other means then, yes, they will let you in. But it make their life a lot easier if you carry a passport, so they discourage people from using other means to establish citizenship by being, basically, very bolshie about it. Producing a California driver’s licence, evidence of having US bank accounts and a phone with lots of US numbers in it make it likely that you are a US resident, but it doesn’t prove that you are a citizen, so if they choose they can give you hassle, the object being to encourage you to carry your damn passport next time. The thing is, though, it’s also hassle for them; life is much easier if they wave you through. So it may depend on what kind of mood they’re in, and how busy the day it, as to how much grief or delay you suffer before you get in.
I had a bit of a hangup in Helsinki. I had flown JFK-DUS(seldorf)-HEL(sinki). In DUS the line for non-EU citizens was really long, so I used my Irish passport on the EU line and was waved right by (no stamp). Later that day, I was taking a ferry to St. Petersburg, and the border control looked all over my US passport for some entry stamp. I just shrugged and said I guess they didn’t stamp it in Germany (the truth )
I had the Canadians let me in with just a driver’s license during the period when US customs wanted a driver’s license and a birth certificate (or a passport). I got a dirty look and a “don’t do it again” but they let me back in without too much trouble.
Ironically, one of the very first revolutionary acts of the Bolsheviks was to abolish all passports. They called them a barbaric example of tsarist oppression.
Two years ago I accidentally drove across the border into Canada without my passport and it took quite a while before they allowed me back into the country even though I had a valid US drivers license and car registration showing that I lived in the US. I was told to pull over into a special area and wait in a large room until it could be all sorted out. I don’t think I was the first person to have this happen.
If I remember correctly my wife had to locate my passport, scan a copy of the first page and email it to the US Immigration office at the Canadian border. Luckily she was home at the time. It took quite a while for all that to happen, but eventually I was allowed to leave and was told never to do it again.
Ironically the reason it happened was that I was there to visit the US Border office to apply for a special pass that would let me more easily get through airports and borders. (I had left my passport at home by mistake since I needed it for the special pass.) The road signage near the border was so confusing that even with my GPS I couldn’t figure out how to get to the US border office and ended up in a lane that took me straight over the border with no way to turn around. The Canadian border agent chuckled when I told him I was there by mistake and didn’t have my passport. He must have known exactly what I was going to have to go through…
Do they stamp US or Irish passports when entering or leaving Germany? Many years ago, as a U.S. citizen, and when Germany was still divided, the only time I ever got a stamp was when leaving East Germany to enter either West Berlin or West Germany.
When I renewed my regular passport recently I paid a bit extra and got a second photo passport which resembles a drivers license which states on its face, “United States Of America Passport Card”. On the back side it also states, “Valid only for international land and sea travel between United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda”.
Interesting that it would mention “the Caribbean” and not specific countries. I assume it will be good for travel to Cuba.
That’s up to Cuba. This may be a level of detail that they haven’t addressed yet. But in any event I would guess that most travel from the US to Cuba would be by air.
I got one of those, too, and it never occurred to me that that could mean Cuba, but it’s a good point.
Right. I just assumed that the purpose was only for returning, because I’ve only used it in Mexico, where they often don’t even stop you when you drive in. Of course, if it’s really “valid” for those other countries, they must have agreed to let people in with it.
I guess the question is, supposing Cuba did accept it, could one return from Cuba with it. I don’t see why not.
This was 2010. I just showed my Irish passport in DUS and was waved right on by. Flew to Helsinki. Lovely city with friendly people. Then a very long line for the ferry to St. Petersburg. The last stamp on my passport was the exit from JFK. So the border control folk in Finland were very curious. I shrugged and said the folks in Germany must not have stamped it (they *were *stamping USA passports but not Irish/Shengen/EU’s). Anyways, made my boat.
I was watching 48 Hours a few weeks ago and they were telling the story of Bruce Beresford-Redman. He was detained as a a suspect in his wife’s murder in Cancun, Mexico, where they were vacationing. He was released and ordered not to leave the country and police kept his passport. He simply walked across the border using his driver’s licence as ID.
I was amazed that such a thing was possible, but apparently it’s no big deal.
In general your own country can’t refuse to let you in. A few years ago someone posted about their daughter that was moving home from the UK and accidentally put her passport in one of the boxes that was sent home ahead of time. In practice you’re not likely to like the hassle this creates before you (eventually) get let in.
I think that was because Tsarist-era passports were required for travel within the country, weren’t they? More like identity papers for internal security, and not crossing international borders IIRC.
I suggest everyone get one of these, since sometimes you need a second photo ID. Or you are traveling and you wallet gets stolen, making it difficult to board the return flight. Keeping one of these hidden in your luggage would be nice.
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