Passport (expiring soon) Entry to Mexico

[ScubaTexas]

We are traveling to Cozumel next month and my wife's US passport will expire the day after we leave. Does anyone know if Mexico requires the passport to be valid for a certain amount of time longer than the stay (just in case your flight gets delayed a few days or any other problems arise causing a delay in departure)?

 

[FredT]

At last check Mexico didn't require a passport. Even an expired one will get you back into the US. Be sure to haul a certified copy of your birth certificate or other proof of citizenship any time you leave the US, as well as a photocopy of your passport packed separately from where you carry the passport. Getting back into the US can now be a hassle without some form of proof of citizenship. Your Drivers License and Voters Registration is now worthless for ID purposes at points of entry.

OTOH renewal of yor passport through your local post office only takes a couple weeks, and renewal of an unexpired one in person at a passport office takes a day (although it can take most of it depending on how busy the office is) if you are travelling soon.

FT

 

[rab]

OK, I'll start by saying that this "knowledge" is from 5 years ago and may (a) not be remembered exactly or (b) have changed since then.

When I went on short (~1 week) trips to England and Canada, I believe the customs instructions said that you needed to have at least 6 more months before your passport would expire. Like I said, this may have changed or it may not even have ever applied to Mexico (or even Canada since I did the trip to England first so I had 9+ years until expiration for Canada).

If you have a few weeks, you can expidite an initial passport application (I think mine was less than 3 weeks). I'd bet that a renewal takes less time. In any case, the cost to get quickly renewed is likely less than the cost of a significant delay returning to the USA (hotel, meals, missed flights, etc.).

If I were you, I'd rather be safe with a renewed passport than gamble with TSA &/or customs.

-Rob

 

[Damselfish]

One hopes the state dept site is correct on all this stuff, see http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html and http://travel.state.gov/yourtripabroad.html

I've heard so many times that "most countries require that you have at least 6 more months" so I just hunted around the web looking for a list of those "most countries." All I could find is a lot of pages that repeat the mantra "most countries require at least 6 more months." Even the state department site makes no attempt to give a list, basically tells you to contact the country. I did find this page saying many countries will give you an _extra_ 6 months - http://www.amb-usa.fr/consul/niv_country.htm

It would appear from this info this Mexico thing is OK, but I still I think the easiest and best thing if at all possible is to have a valid passport that's not about to expire and eliminate all questions, even if it means doing an expedited renewal. Who wants to go a trip worrying about their passport or documentation? Where you may actually get tripped up is before you even leave the country - if you're flying international, you have to present your passport or documentation at check in. Even if you think you're within the rules, who knows what the airline people will think. If they don't think you have the right doc to get into the country they're flying you to they won't let you on the plane. (I've actually seen this happen, and it's also a real drag if you're the next person in line waiting!)

To be safe in general it seems like a good idea to check the latest info close to a trip - countries do change their rules and I've heard stories of people getting tripped up because they were relying on a birth certificate and the rule changed to require a passport, or some such thing.

 

[ggunn]

We are traveling to Cozumel next month and my wife's US passport will expire the day after we leave. Does anyone know if Mexico requires the passport to be valid for a certain amount of time longer than the stay (just in case your flight gets delayed a few days or any other problems arise causing a delay in departure)?

When in doubt, take measures. If you can't get the passport renewed, get a certified copy of her birth certificate. That and a government issued photo ID (e.g., a valid drivers license) are all you need for Mexico.

 

[gj62]

My passport is in processing - I sent it in a week ago, then had an emergency biz trip come up, so I am heading to Mexico City next week with my certified birth certificate & DL.

Mexicana, and my folks in MX, assure me there will be no problems. We'll see...

 

[Kat]

Traveling w/out a passport OR if you think you might have any problem at all:
Bring your birth certificate ( state isuued NOT hospital ) and a government photo ID. Your name on the birth certificate must match the photo ID exactly. If your birth cert. says William Smith but your ID says Billy Smith, you could have a problem. Get a state ID with your legal name - pronto. If your last name has changed & does not match your birth certificate bring along the document that shows why it was changed. Marriage certificate, adoption papers, legal name change. Whatever, bring it, bring it all! Start working on getting your documents together ASAP.
I can't tell you how many people don't get to travel because of this.

 

[ggunn]

My passport is in processing - I sent it in a week ago, then had an emergency biz trip come up, so I am heading to Mexico City next week with my certified birth certificate & DL.

Mexicana, and my folks in MX, assure me there will be no problems. We'll see...

Unless things have changed in the last yuear or so, you'll be fine. I go to Cozumel at least once a year, and I don't have a passport. Birth cert and DL work fine.