Destination Accepting Government Issued Photo ID and Proof of Passport Application for Entry

June 18, 2007 – The Islands Of The Bahamas announced today that its  Department of Immigration would accept a valid, government issued photo ID along with the proof of  passport application for entry into the destination, following the United States’ announcement that it was temporarily suspending the requirement for air travelers to present a passport for re-entry into the United States.

Potential visitors to The Islands Of The Bahamas who are concerned that a passport may not arrive in time for their scheduled, or proposed, travel dates should be advised that the U.S. Department of State has temporarily revised enforcement of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative from now until September 30, 2007.  This reprieve and cooperation from The Islands Of The Bahamas should alleviate concerns and remove impediments to summer travel.

From the U.S. Department of State Web site:

“U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda who have applied for but not yet received passports can nevertheless temporarily enter and depart from the United States by air with a government issued photo identification and Department of State official proof of application for a passport through September 30, 2007.”

From now until September 30th of this year, you may confidently plan a vacation to The Bahamas even if your passport has not yet arrived.  During this time official proof that you have applied for a U.S. passport (passport status notice downloaded from the State Department Web site at http://travel.state.gov) along with a government issued photo ID such as a driver’s license will be sufficient for air travel to and from the U.S. and The Islands Of The Bahamas.

Travelers must have at least made application for a passport prior to travel to qualify.