By Anne Harris

Important information for traveller's, visitors, and residents!

New US passport requirements slated to be complete by 2007, Cancun travel bulletin, local artist to open show, and more......

Rich Schoen of Houston, Texas invites you all to attend the opening of his photo exhibit, Cozumel Vision, at the Casa de Cultura (was Ixchel) @ Juarez y 50th on Thurs April 14 @ 9 pm. This is Rick's 4th show since 1991.

Traveling to the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Canada, or Mexico New Passport Requirement

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA) mandated that the U.S. Secretaries of Homeland Security and State development implement a plan to require U.S. citizens and foreign nationals to present a passport or other appropriate secure identity and citizenship documentation when entering the United States.  As a result of this legislation the two agencies have developed a plan called the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will require all travelers entering or re-entering the United States from these areas to have a passport or other accepted document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States.  This is a change from prior travel requirements.

This 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 is as follows:

December 31, 2005 - Requirement applied to all travel (air/sea) to or from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Central and South America.

December 31, 2006 - Requirement extended to all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada.

December 31, 2007 - Requirement extended to all air, sea and land border crossings. 

United States citizens can visit the State Department's travel website, travel.state.gov http://travel.state.gov/, or call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778; TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793. Passport customers should allow a sufficient amount of time to apply and receive their passport in advance of travel.  Please allow 6 weeks for routine processing of passport applications.

For more information, visit www.travel.state.gov  or  http://www.dhs.gov/

The office of Mexican immigration has moved to the corner of Av 15 y Calle 5 Sur. I found a very helpful website, in English,  on the subject of Mexican law that covers migration matters & much more, such as cars with US plates and getting signed up for medical coverage by Seguro Social , that you might want to have a look at . Go to: http://www.ajijiclaw.com/

 The following Public Announcement was issued by the US Department of State April 6, 2005, regarding travel to Cancun.  The vast majority of tourists and foreign travelers going to Cancun each year do not experience any serious problems while they are there.  However, in recent weeks there has been an increase in reported incidents which prompted the U.S. Embassy and the Department of State to issue yesterday's announcement, which is intended for informational purposes to the traveling public.  Those of you living in the area are surely familiar with the variety of possible rewards and difficulties associated with traveling to Cancun.  Again, this is not a warning per se, but rather an announcement for informational purposes, which we hope will be helpful to you. 

1.  This Public Announcement is being issued to alert U.S. citizens to the deterioration in recent weeks of local law enforcement in Cancun caused by a persistent shortage of municipal funds to pay for police and public services. Police responsiveness to emergency calls and investigation of crimes has been severely impaired, and the U.S. Consulate in Merida has received several reports of petty corruption and extortion aimed at U.S. travelers.  This Public Announcement supplements the Announcement issued on January 26 and it expires on May 31, 2005.

 2.  The U.S. Consular Agency in Cancun has received numerous allegations of tourists being extorted for money by taxi drivers and malfeasant police or individuals posing as police officers.  In some cases, tourists have been taken to ATM machines for immediate payment of alleged infractions.  In other cases, extortion attempts occur after a motorist (typically in a rental car) is stopped for an alleged moving violation.  The motorist is threatened with imprisonment if a "fine" is not immediately paid, even though there is no proof that any infraction has been committed.

 3.  Visitors to Cancun should be aware that a written citation should be received before the payment of any fine.  No money should be paid directly to a police officer.  If you believe you are the victim of an extortion attempt, you should make a note of the officer's name and badge number, the time and location of the incident, and the number of the patrol car, if applicable, and immediately call the U.S. Consular Agency in Cancun or the U.S. Consulate in Merida. 

4.  The U.S. Consular Agency is located on the second floor of Plaza Caracol, Boulevard Kukulcan, km. 8.5 Zona Hotelera, Cancun, and can be reached by telephone at   (998) 883-0272.  The U.S. Consulate in Merida is located at Paseo Montejo No. 453, ol. Centro, Merida, Yucatan.  The U.S. Consulate in Merida can be reached by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it  or by telephone at (999) 925-5011 during working hours or (52) (999) 947-2285 after hours or on weekends. http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/merida/meridae.htm

 5.  Current information on travel and security in Mexico can be obtained from the Department of State's Consular Information Sheet, which can found at the Internet website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, http://travel.state.gov/.  U.S. citizens living or traveling in Mexico are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S.  Consulate/ CA or through the Department of State's travel registration website:

http://travelregistration.state.gov/   For further information, U.S. citizens may also contact the Department of State toll-free from US at 1-888-407-4747.  From outside the United States and Canada, call 202-501-4444.  This is a toll call.

Anne Harris USCA - CZM cell 044 987 876 0624 for emergencies call the office phone at: 872 4574   hours 12-2 pm M-F Villa Mar Mall in the Main Plaza (Behind Fat Tuesdays) 2nd floor right rear, across from Cozumel On Line email: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/merida/meridae.htm

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