Strict passport rules set for air travelers

WASHINGTON -- US citizens traveling by air from Canada, Mexico, and most Caribbean nations must present passports to reenter the country starting Jan. 23, the government said yesterday.

The new regulation, mandated by Congress in 2004, is designed to increase security in airports, where Americans returning from those countries have needed only driver's licenses or other forms of photo identification.

The passport requirement will be extended to border crossings and ship arrivals in January 2008.

"The ability to misuse travel documents to enter this country opens the door for a terrorist to carry out an attack," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said. "We cannot continue to allow loopholes that could facilitate access to the United States through false claims of citizenship or fake identities."

The rule for air travelers had been expected to take effect sometime in January, and many Americans already have taken steps to get passports. Applications were up about 20 percent in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, to 12.1 million, according to a State Department spokesman. This fiscal year, they are up 54 percent compared with the same period last year.

The passport requirement has drawn protests from Caribbean nations, where tourism could suffer if some US travelers decide it is too much trouble and stay home. A study by the Caribbean Hotel Association last month said passport restrictions on air, land, and sea travel could cost the region $2.6 million in lost tourism business and 188,300 jobs. The association had called for an extension of the deadline for enforcement of the regulations and asked that they be enforced on all forms of travel at the same time.

The Department of Homeland Security estimates that 1 in 4 Americans has a passport. Passport applications typically have taken six to eight weeks to process, but an increase in staffing has cut that time to about four weeks, said Frank Moss, deputy assistant secretary of state for passport services.

New applications must be made in person, with proof of citizenship and identification; renewals are available online. Each application costs $97 for those 16 and older; $82 for children. Those traveling within 14 days can apply for an expedited passport for an extra $60.

As post offices gear up for their busiest months, staff recommend those applying for passports try to avoid the lunch rush hour, especially during the week before Christmas. "You'll be waiting in line. Those will be really, really crowded days," said Joanne Veto, a postal spokeswoman.