Hi Moms,
So excited to say we are planning a family vacation to my hometown of Guadalajara Mexico!! We are in the process of getting our airline tickets but I wanted to know if you knew what documents I would need to travel to my destination. We will be leaving out of Tijuana Mexico to Guadalajara by plain. My husband & I are US resident aliens & our kids are US citizens. Do I need passports or is a birth certificate enough. Also we have our resident cards but what else do we need? Our trip isnt till July 2012 so I have enough time to plan. Thanks
Very informative! Thanks for all the great information & websites. We will be driving to Tijuana Mexico & flying from there to Guadalajara Mexico. I will get passport for our children & I found out my husband & I need to get a Matricula which is a Mexican passport as well. Thanks & happy traveling :)
You will need a passport for all. when you apply for one, you are given the option to buy an id card that can be used at international borders.
Hello E.,
You need to have passport (books) or passport (cards) for your children and you need to have a travel document for yourself. The law changed recently, requiring ANYONE traveling to Mexico, Canada to have a passport!!!
Visit http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970....
for all information.
Here is an exerpt:
"Since March 1, 2010, all U.S. citizens – including children – have been required to present a valid passport or passport card for travel beyond the “border zone” into the interior of Mexico. The “border zone” is generally defined as an area within 20 to 30 kilometers of the border with the U.S., depending on the location. Regardless of the destination in Mexico; however, all U.S. citizens age 16 or older must present a valid U.S. passport book or passport card to re-enter the U.S. by land. A passport book is required to return to the United States via an international flight."
Can you get, a U.S. Passport, if you are a "Resident Alien?"
To my knowledge, only US Citizens can get a US Passport.
Do you have a Passport from your home country??????
You are a Resident Alien, but to my knowledge, will still be regarded as a Citizen of the country you are from.
Even if your kids were born here and are thus, US Citizens.
For the kids, you DO need US passports. Because they are, U.S. Citizens.
It takes time, to get passports.
For airline seating, I recommend www.seatguru.com
It is accurate and even the airlines and Travel agents use this.
We used it.
For families/kids... it is good to use this, so you can get seating you want.
Being you are Resident Aliens... what are the US Immigration rules on traveling internationally?
http://boards.bootsnall.com/travel-as-a-us-resident-alien...
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1333.html
http://www.immihelp.com/greencard/retain-greencard.html
http://www.go2mexico.com/travel_tips.php
http://www.foreignborn.com/visas_imm/entering_us/12return...
http://internationalcenter.umich.edu/immig/prvisa/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permanent_residence_%28Unite...
I would ALSO, make sure you know what you'll need, to Re-enter the United States. Being you are a Resident Alien.
The Immigration laws, can be very capricious.
It is mandatory now that anyone (adults/children,etc...) have passports if traveling into Mexico.
Also both parents need to be present to apply for children's passports the first time. After that you will be able to renew and its much easier.
I'm not sure about you and hubby. Your children will need US passports.
You definitely need a traditional passport if you are going by boat or plane. If you were to just drive, then a passport card would suffice. Birth certificates are no longer enough. I just researched driving into Mexico a few months ago, and this was what I found.
I would take passports for everyone, even the kids. I think they are mandatory now for traveling internationally. I know my baby needs one when we visit my inlaws in Holland.
Passports. ((My earliest passport is from when I was 4 months old)). Kids passports have to be renewed pretty frequently, just as a heads up :)
are you driving into TJ? for that you do not need passports at the present time. But that could change in a year. Also how will you be getting back. To fly directly into the US your kids MUST have a passport. If for any reason your travel plans change and you need to fly directly to the US they will be unable to do so without a passport. You would need to find an embassy and get temporarys with is also costly and time consuming. I am not sure for you and your husband. You may have to check with your native country. If you do get your kids passports they will not have an issue exiting and returning to the US. I would go and get them so then you are covered (esp. if there is a last minute change by the US govnt, which has happened before) When you get your kids passports BOTH parents must be present. We applied for ours last december and they arrives in the mail 10 days later. Do it soon and you won't have to pay rush fees. =0)
Children need passports.
