Documentation

salish · Post by **salish** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 12:14 am

I have a US passport expired 6 months ago and a birth certificate, but am not sure it's certified. Will I be hassled entering PV or re-entering the US? I also have a valid Driver's License. Anything else I should bring just in case?

charlieb · Post by **charlieb** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:15 am

First of all, an expired passport is good for nada. Second, you will need to prove your citizenship when you re-enter the U.S. A drivers license does not prove citizenship. A birth cert proves that the person named on the BC was born in the U.S., it does not prove you are that person, unless the name and date of birth on the BC,and the date of birth and the name on the drivers license are the same. Then you have established your citizenship. Trouble comes in with women who got married and changed their name. SO...the name on the BC says "SMITH" and the name on the DL says "JONES" (married). Your best bet is a U.S. Passport. see http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html. Chuck...

rudechuck · Post by **rudechuck** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 3:48 am

I have my certified birth certificate from California. However, I keep seeing comments that it must have a "raised seal." The certification date of my birth certificate is 1980 and has a seal in purple ink stating:

"This is a true certiufied copy of the record if it bears the seal, imprinted in purle ink, of the Registrar Recorder."

But the seal is not raised. Is this going to be a problem for me?

charlieb · Post by **charlieb** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:49 am

No, the lack of a "raised" anything is not a problem. Unless your BC is from a state that has a raised seal as the official mark. Many states, such as Calif, have no raised seal...they have an inked seal which makes it official. That raised seal thing as a universal truism is an urban ledgend. Chuck...

rudechuck · Post by **rudechuck** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:56 am

You rule! Thanks, man!

charlieb · Post by **charlieb** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:56 am

No Problem...just my quest for world domination! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Chuck...

katnsocal · Post by **katnsocal** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:11 am

quote:
Trouble comes in with women who got married and changed their name. SO...the name on the BC says "SMITH" and the name on the DL says "JONES" (married). Your best bet is a U.S. passport.
______________________________________________________

I made at least 30 trips down with my BC not matching my name on DL and no trouble.

I don't think it is really a problem as the First and middle names match as does the birth date. BUT...

If you have time to get one before your trip you might as well bite the bullet and get a passport since they will be required as of 1/1/07, your BC with no longer be valid for travel.

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:06 pm

DELETED

tojol57 · Post by **tojol57** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 2:27 pm

for your expired passport, see if you can get it sent in as soon as possible and see if you can get it updated, if not, you will have to go thru the whole process again. as for my buddy and his world domination "rule"

Mr. Charlieb has a long way to go before he can get that honor and distinction that is for sure. Now, with your "seal" on your BC you should be fine. Iowa's is a "raised" seal type for certification. that is why we got our passports and keep them up to date. As other commenst are made, newlyweds or recently divorced people sometimes need to have more documentation to prove who they are. Born Jane Smith, married Ben Jones, etc... or Divorced Ben Jones and married Al Johnson... sometimes these can get quite confusing to the people with BC and Drivers licenses only. That is why passports have been highly recommended for the most part...

have a good time and vacation.

Tom aka Mr. Crown

michelle/tyler · Post by **michelle/tyler** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:25 pm

Isnt it true that come jan.2007 it will be law that you have to have a passport to travel. As I had said i other posts we went on a last minute trip to pv. so we didnt have passports but we had bc and drivers licence and when we were checking in I asked whether we would have problems because my last name is different and they told us that they realize ppl get married and u arent born with your married name. We had brought our marriage certificate just in case though. We never got a hard time at all The custom agent in pv made a comment no passport,no tequila for you lol at least he had a sense of humour. But we are now getting our passports done.

tojol57 · Post by **tojol57** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 2:25 pm

good for you guys Giggles... before 9/11, we did see some people have minor confrontations with immigrations whether it was going or coming back from destinations because of raised seals or not. one our first trips out of the USA, i know this one agent, must have rubbed her finger over that seal to see if she could find it for sure. and i know she wasn't blind either, but it was to be "raised"... but mine was old enough and in the lock box for so long that it just relaxed and was pressed back into the paper from all the other stuff in the box...

and you are right, they are starting to force everybody to get passports starting in 2007 ... i personally think it is a good thing...

Tom aka Mr. Crown

BUFFETT 06 · Post by **BUFFETT 06** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:58 am

i have a bc from cali myself and i was not able to board my flight to pv. i had to go and get a passport in the same day( it is possible) in order to go. iwas a bit upset that i had to wait another day for a trip that i had been looking forward to for awhile. however, i am glad that i did. your better off getting a passport you are guaranteed no problems comming and going. the trip was as advertised, it was great and the city is beautiful. one last suggestions for americans though, try not to act like idiots, i saw many ungrateful american people down their showcasing their rude ways. it's a great place to go so, eat their food, drink their drinks and most of all, respect their people and their country.

charlieb · Post by **charlieb** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 1:24 am

How about if we always respect each other, regardless of where we go or where we are? Just a thought. Chuck...

chuck · Post by **chuck** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 3:21 am

BUFFETT 06 wrote:i have a bc from cali myself and i was not able to board my flight to pv. i had to go and get a passport in the same day( it is possible) in order to go. iwas a bit upset that i had to wait another day for a trip that i had been looking forward to for awhile. however, i am glad that i did. your better off getting a passport you are guaranteed no problems comming and going. the trip was as advertised, it was great and the city is beautiful. one last suggestions for americans though, try not to act like idiots, i saw many ungrateful american people down their showcasing their rude ways. it's a great place to go so, eat their food, drink their drinks and most of all, respect their people and their country.

OUCH

I for one am very cordial with everyone, and as for singling out Americans, now that's just not right. I would say if you want to see rude vacationers, check out the some of the resorts south of Cancun, where a lot of French, Spanish, German and Italians go. I have never seen so many impatient, demandingly rude people ordering the hotel staff like some sort of slaves.
I respect the Mexicans so that I use spanish

almost 50% of the time when I am on vacation. Always greeting and thanking them when appropriate.
Nuf said, I'll step of the soapbox now.

katnsocal · Post by **katnsocal** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 5:14 am

quote: saw many ungrateful american people down their showcasing their rude ways.
________________________________________________________

How did you determine they were Americans? Unless I hear the infamous EH?

I really can't tell the difference between Canadians and Americans just walking past them. Every country has their idiots, but they usually don't wear a T-shirt saying I am a rude ________.

charlieb · Post by **charlieb** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:20 am

OK, folks. I am an American, and very proud of it!!! However, let's not let this get blown out of proportion. I'm sure nothing against Americans was meant. It was just a way of trying to get a point across. Nothing more, right? Chuck...

chuck · Post by **chuck** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 7:36 pm

I'm not ranting about that post. I agree that people should respect our vacation host country's people and definately never be rude. I love Mexico and it's people, that's why we have spent 100% of our last 20 vacations there.

tojol57 · Post by **tojol57** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 2:41 pm

It always amazes me on how people can be so judgmental and rude when the are visiting another country. with all the unrest in this world, people need to really step back and take a deep deep breath and realize what they are saying or doing when they are away from home. Whether or not their vacation is in the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, etc... respect and patience are something you just have to have, no matter where you are at.

So lets have a group hug here, and everybody just enjoy their vacations as they can.

Tom aka Mr. Crown...

Redd · Post by **Redd** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:01 pm

Group hug here......

travelbug_jp · Post by **travelbug_jp** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 3:32 pm

Joyce

Documentation

reply on the raised seal bc

Re: reply on the raised seal bc