To passport ot not?

[ScoobieDooo]

While booking our flights via Jet Blue to the Bahamas a airline CSR highly recommended we get passports. He told us a story of a friend that traveled abroad who found himself in jail after a minor fender-bender while our of the USA because he didn’t have a passport and only a birth certificate with him - thus losing any 'rights' he would have had had he had a passport.

Can anyone elaborate on this and advise? This is our first diving trip outside the USA.

Any advice?

 

[nauifins73]

We were in the Bahamas in June and I believe we were told we only needed a driver's license and a certified raised seal birth certificate. We all have passports anyway. I haven't heard that kind of story before but that doesn't mean is isn't possible about the fender-bender. If you decided to get a passport do it as soon as possible - there are times when there is a glitch and they don't come in on time. I'm sure there is a government site that lists all the requirements for entry in the different countries.

Plus in my opinion a passport is so interesting - it is like a history of your travels.


Becky

 

[Desa]

Go withthe passports, it makes life so much easier when going through customs. Its little things like Customs agent to my cousins wife: "The name on your drivers license doe not match the name on your birth certificate!" Cousins wife replied "I wasn't married at the time of my birth" Customs agent: "But your name doesn't match your drivers license". Evenutally she got through but it was definatly a hassle. The rest of us had passports and just went right through.

Plus, like Beck said, it gives you a neat record of your travels.

 

[RICHinNC]

No doubt about it.....PASSPORT it.

 

[mike_s]

I agree. get the passport.

Do you really need it? no. You can use your birth cert (w/ seal) (for most caribbean islands).

The advantage of the passport though outweights the birth cert. The passport is quicker, easier, etc. you don't have to worry about loosing the birth cert as easy because it's a piece of folded paper, etc. (I have a friend who accidentally threw theirs away on a trip with some other paper trash.).

It's also a form of Legal picture ID for the US that you can use at a bank, etc if you need a 2nd or seperate photo ID. Unless you are in the military, most americans don't have a legal picture ID besides their drivers license.

It's also quicker to go through imigration because they just scan the numbers on your passport and don't have to type everything in and look you up.

bottom line is get it, it's much easier.

 

[pennypue]

I agree, passport. Not only is it faster, it makes the agent in immigration happier too. You get the stamps in your book and I get a Pavlovian excitement everytime I hear the agent start slamming that little stamp down on my book!!!

 

[cyklon_300]

is a red-tape cutter in many instances...get one.

I just renewed mine this week, they upped the fee from $55 to $67 recently, but it's still worth it.

 

[SueMermaid]

I don't even travel interstate without my passport.
Get one.

 

[pennypue]

What about whipping it out at a traffic stop?
Officer: "Ma'am, I need your driver's license, not your passport."
Me: "But officer, I was flyin'."

:rofl:

 

[Mako Mark]

Customs agent: "The name on your drivers license does not match the name on your birth certificate!" Cousins wife replied "I wasn't married at the time of my birth" Customs agent: "But your name doesn't match your drivers license". .

:rofl:

get a passport...