That time off is so badly needed, but nothing could possibly be worst than making travel plans and not realizing that a passport to Cancun is needed until it is too late. People are getting all kinds of bad information about this right now and not being prepared can be the difference in having a great trip or getting to the airport and being forced to turn right back around.

While it is not generally assumed that if a traveler is leaving US soil for any reason, they will need a passport. With Cancun being located in a foreign country, it would only make sense that a passport would be needed to go there. This is probably true in most cases, but there are still a few circumstances when a passport may actually not be needed.

In order to figure out if you will need a passport to Cancun, it is first important to understand the new passport laws. As of June 1st, 2009, passports are required for travel to Mexico, Canada and nearby Caribbean Islands. These laws apply to air, land and sea travel. Prior to these laws, passports were not required for land and sea travel to Mexico. International Mexican travel only required a valid driver’s license or other government issued identification.

Anyone traveling to Cancun will most definitely need a passport. Since the new passport laws cover sea travel, logic dictates that anyone on a cruise to Cancun would also need a passport. However, there is one exception in the sea travel clause.

Travelers on cruises to certain international destinations are not required to carry passports provided that the cruise is deemed “closed loop.” A closed loop cruise is any cruise that starts and finishes in the same port or same port country. However, it is important to note that these closed loop exemptions only apply to cruises that begin and end in the United States, and only on cruises that visit certain international countries.

Approved international countries include: Mexico, Canada, Bermuda, the Virgin Islands, and select Caribbean Islands. That being the case, a passport is not necessary for a closed loop cruise to Cancun. However, a closed loop cruise to South America would necessitate a passport.

All of these changes were made because of Homeland Security. It is no secret that border security was pretty lax, especially on the Canadian and Mexican borders. People were literally coming and going as they pleased. In order to secure the borders, these new passport laws were put in place to make it more difficult for people to get across the border into the United States.

Having said all of that, it is still always better to have too much documentation than not enough. Obtaining a USA passport application to Cancun will give assurances that there will be no problems. In you do not want to get a regular passport, a passport card can be used instead. Regardless, anyone planning to travel would do wise to obtain a passport sooner or later to avoid the long waits or extra fees that will have to be paid to get one on short notice.