The story so far Historically, U.S. citizens have only needed a birth certificate and driver’s license to travel to Mexico and most Caribbean countries. But in April 2005, the federal government announced new, stricter requirements as part of its efforts to strengthen border security.

In a nutshell, the new rules stated that all travelers — including home-bound U.S. citizens — would need a passport to enter the U.S. from the aforementioned destinations, starting in January 2007. (Going away, it seems, isn’t the issue; it’s getting back in.)

Not surprisingly, the travel industry was none too pleased. There would be chaos, they claimed, as people scrambled to comply in time, or worse, canceled their trips due to the added expense. On October 4, their prayers were answered (well, some, anyway) when the president signed off on a partial deadline extension.

• U.S. makes changes to passport rules
Oct. 10: The "Today" show's Ann Curry talks with the show's travel editor, Peter Greenberg, about Americans needing to carry passports to travel to Canada, Mexico, and other countries.
Today show

Barring additional changes, it breaks down like this: If you’re planning on visiting Mexico or the Caribbean and traveling by air, you will need a passport to get back into the U.S. beginning January 8, 2007. If you’re traveling by land or sea, however, you can go without until June 2009. In other words, if you’re cruising to Cozumel, bon voyage; if you’re flying to Barbados without a passport, you may experience a few bumps on the flight back home. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15208640/

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