hey...I hear that one will need a passport to get to Puerto Rico, is this true and if So, When affective?

Answer 1

"Given Puerto Rico’s relationship to the U.S., traveling to and from Puerto Rico is much like traveling between the 50 states. Therefore, no passport or immunizations are necessary for a U.S. citizen or national traveling to Puerto Rico. However, some form of identification, for example a driver’s license, passport or an original copy of a birth certificate, should be carried to evidence U.S. citizenship or nationality.

Resident aliens residing in the U.S. traveling to the Commonwealth are required to have a valid passport and an appropriate U.S. visa, if required by the U.S. State Department.* (www.state.gov/travel)

Because arriving in Puerto Rico from a foreign country is considered arriving in the U.S., persons who are not U.S. citizens, nationals or resident aliens traveling to Puerto Rico from a foreign country should contact the U.S. State Department* about visa and other requirements for entry into the U.S. (www.state.gov/travel/)"
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"Q. Will travelers from U.S. territories need to present a passport to enter the United States?

No. These territories are a part of the United States. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the U.S. territory and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands."

Answer 2

US citizens will never need a passport to go to Puerto Rico, if you are coming from somewhere else in the US. As a matter of fact if you're entering PR from another Caribbean island, you go through US customs in PR.

Answer 3

That depends on where you are coming to Puerto Rico from. The US, no, another country that doesn't "own" PR, yes you will need a passport to get into and American territory.

Answer 4

New Requirements for Travelers


The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. In order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

In the proposed implementation plan, which is subject to a period of initial public comment, the Initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines. The proposed timeline will be as follows:

January 8, 2007 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
January 1, 2008 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.
This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement.

not a bad idea to have one since all the neighboring islands in the carribbean will require them.

Answer 5

In 2007, any US citizen who wants to leave the country will be required to have a passport - even to go to Mexico or Canada.

Answer 6

9-11 has change travelling the world over. Birth certificate and drivers license does not work anymore. One has to have his or her passport.

Answer 7

As of December 31,2006 @ 12:00a.m
All citizens will need a passport to leave and return to the USA... even you go into Mexico you will need a passport...or you will be FINED...

Answer 8

Absolutely not!!...I fly there at least once a year...no passport required. It is like CA however...your not allowed to take citrus fruit in or out of PR

Answer 9

If you live in the states then you'll never need a passport.

Answer 10

You don't need a passport to get to P.R. because it is a U.S. commonwealth. However, with all this new security, I suggest that you get one for the future. Usually, when I got to P.R. I just show my voter's I.D. or a government issued I.D.