If you were to ask me the question whether Canadians require to have a passport to enter and exit Mexico, my answer would always be that we highly recommend that you get one regardless of whether the country requires one or not.
Here’s why!
We rely on our Government and several other Travel Agency sources to keep us informed and up-to-date on countries that have recently changed their entry requirements, and we make every effort to inform our clients of these changes.
However, it seems that many of these popular Canadian vacation destinations are making sudden decisions that we unfortunately are not currently aware of, or at the very moment we do find out, it may already be too late for many of the Canadian vacationers at destination.
What Do I Mean When It May Be Too Late…
What I’m talking about here, is a client contacted us and mentioned to us about a warning that was issued on Expedia.ca website indicating that certain airlines are denying boarding of Canadians that are not carrying valid passports.
My question to that, is if these airlines are denying passengers to return back to Canada, because they don’t have valid passports, how did they get into Mexico on these flights in the first place?
The fact that I have not received any warnings from our Government or Embassy on this issue to date, I’m guessing at this time Canada still believes that everything is ok with the current entry ID requirements, but on the other side of the border, Mexico is issuing their updated requirements to the airlines in regards to departing Mexican soil, or if I dig a little deeper, possibly the airlines are making their own rules for whatever their reasons are in this case.
The Question Then Arises Once Again, Do Canadians Travelling To Mexico Require To Have a Valid Passport?
My answer to that question is flat out yes!
Even though Mexico indicates that Canadians still can enter into the country with valid Government issued picture ID and a birth certificate, that does not mean much if they happen to immediately change their minds, or airlines suddenly take it upon themselves to make decisions to deny Canadians from boarding their planes if they do not have a passport.
We never know what may happen today or tomorrow, and that’s the very reason we pay money for insurance. To protect us from the unknown and unexpected situations that may possibly cause us inconvenience and out of pocket costs.
The same goes for a passport. The cost of a Canadian passport is approximately $80.00 that is valid for 5 years. I believe that’s a very small investment to have peace-of-mind.
Even If Countries Claim You Don’t Require A Passport, There Are Other Reasons To Have One!
When I come across clients that are set on not getting a passport, and they say that they don’t need one, because they only travel to places that do not require one, I always like to throw out a scenario where you can still be affected.
One example I use that have many of my clients saying, “I never thought about that before”, is the one about a direct charter flight that has to make an emergency landing while returning from the destination they were visiting into the States.
I mention that if for any reason you’re flying back home and their flight needs to have an emergency landing in the United States, there is a very good chance that anyone not carrying a mandatory valid Canadian passport could be denied entry into the US airport.
Of course I’m not basing this example on a true event that has taken place, but on an situation that was related to Travel Coverage, however, that will be for another topic.
In conclusion, I stand by telling my valued clients that getting a passport will benefit you in the long run, and provide that extra peace-of-mind when traveling, even if the country does not require that you have one.
Having your passport will allow you to avoid sudden situations that could easily have you stranded at your destination, and possibly paying substantial amounts of out of pocket money to get fixed.
If you have any questions in regards to this story, or on passports, we encourage you to contact us.
