Whats up with Passport requirements as of now?

[Frankie]

I was under the impression that as of Jan. 1, 2006 you could not enter SXM without a passport, that birth certificates were no longer accepted. Has there been a grace period for this rule to take effect?

[KarenS]

Due to terrorism concerns I believe the entire Caribbean will be stricter with their passport vs. birth certificate rules. I have read articles that there may be a postponement on the dates of implementation of the new passport requirement by the US but a US government Web site stated this:

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:

December 31, 2006 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
December 31, 2007 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.

For the full report and more go <a href="http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html">here.</a>

If you're from another country other than the US, for entry requirements go
<a href="http://www.wordtravels.com/Travelguide/Countries/St+Maarten+and+St+Martin/Visa">here.</a>

Should I see any new press releases regarding this matter I'll be sure to post them!

[O.T.]

The Dutch and the French side has different entry requirements:

For the Dutch side, according to www.st-maarten.com,

U.S. citizens require one of the following:

A valid passport and a return/continuing ticket.
A birth certificate with raised seal and photo identification and a return/continuing ticket.
Naturalized citizens must show an original naturalization certificate with photo identification and a return/continuing ticket.
Permanent Resident (Green Card) holders must have a valid passport and a return/continuing ticket.
A Valid Passport is required for Everyone Effective January 8, 2007.

For the French side, according to www.st.martin.org

Official Requirements :
French or EU citizens : national ID card or valid passport.
For the rest of the world : valid passport and return or transfer ticket, no visa is required for stays up to 3 months.

[KarenS]

The latest as of 9/17/06:

Passport deadline delayed again

The deadline for U.S. citizens to have passports for re-entering the country by air or sea from Canada, most of the Caribbean and Mexico has been delayed a week, to Jan. 8, 2007.

The earlier deadline was changed to avoid inconveniencing holiday travelers, according to U.S. State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler. Congress is considering extending the deadline even further, she said.

Americans will still be able to visit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands without a passport after the new rules take effect.

On Jan. 1, 2008, passports will be required for all land-based border crossings to Canada and Mexico as well.

For more information, visit travel.state.gov, or call the U.S. National Passport Information Center at (877) 487-2778.

-- Staff and wire report

Washington Post, Chronicle staff