Non-US Citizen need a visa to go to Cozumel?

[Turbo6ta]

I was just thinking ... Does a non-US citizen that has a US permanent resident visa ("green card"), but traveling on a Philippines passport need some kind of visa to get off the ship in Cozumel, or can they go just like any US citizen can?

 

And do US citizens need to take there passport on a 4 day cruise from Miami to Key West and Cozumel ... or just an ID such as a US driver's license?

 

Thank's

[Rirruto]

I was just thinking ... Does a non-US citizen that has a US permanent resident visa ("green card"), but traveling on a Philippines passport need some kind of visa to get off the ship in Cozumel, or can they go just like any US citizen can?

 

And do US citizens need to take there passport on a 4 day cruise from Miami to Key West and Cozumel ... or just an ID such as a US driver's license?

 

Thank's

 

US permanent resident card is fine. My wife is a Canadian citizen with a US permanent resident card.

 

US citizens need either a passport or a combination of driver's license/birth certificate.

[Turbo6ta]

Thank's for the info.

 

Well to be on the safe side, I am going to have my wife bring her Philippines passport, her US "green card" and her Florida driver's license.

 

I will bring my US passport and my Florida driver's license.

[irishnyc]

You should check with the Mexican government website what the requirements are to be sure. Although she is a permanent US resident, she is NOT a US citizen. Requirements may not be the same for the Philippines as they are for the Canadian in the other example.

 

For you, the US citizen going to Cozumel, you need either your passport (preferable), or your US drivers license AND an official birth certificate.

 

ETA: This link contains a list of countries that do not need a visa to enter Mexico. Philippines is NOT on the list. You need to do some research before you go. http://www.sre.gob.mx/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25&Itemid=28

[Turbo6ta]

Thank's for all the replies ... I just called the Mexican Consulate in Miami.

 

Since my wife is traveling on a Filipino passport, all she needs to bring with her is her US Green Card, and she will be good to go ... no visa required with the green card.

[Starlight Durban Cruising]

ETA: This link contains a list of countries that do not need a visa to enter Mexico. Philippines is NOT on the list. You need to do some research before you go. http://www.sre.gob.mx/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25&Itemid=28

This listing is dated 2009.

I agree that one should check with the Embassy, however one should remember that they usually reply from the perspective of flying in or driving across the border into a country - and not the cruise-ship entry rules. I usually go to VisaHQ site as they also show the rules for Cruise-ship entry - I have this one bookmarked as it is quite helpful:

 

http://mexico.visahq.com/requirements/Philippines/resident-United_States/

(see the tab "cruise visa")

 

Note that under the general tourist visa class - if you have family visiting the US (on a valid US tourist visa), then they could visit Mexico as well without need for a Mexican visa - as long as entry is via the USA - as per:

 

"Starting May 1st, 2010, all foreigners, regardless of their nationality, visiting Mexico as tourists, transmigrate or for business matters will not need a visa for Mexico as long as they hold a valid US visa and arrive in Mexico from the United States."

 

Things can change, and these appear to be the rules as at Jan 2013!!!

[kingoftheicedragons]

This listing is dated 2009.

I agree that one should check with the Embassy, however one should remember that they usually reply from the perspective of flying in or driving across the border into a country - and not the cruise-ship entry rules. I usually go to VisaHQ site as they also show the rules for Cruise-ship entry - I have this one bookmarked as it is quite helpful:

 

http://mexico.visahq.com/requirements/Philippines/resident-United_States/

(see the tab "cruise visa")

 

Note that under the general tourist visa class - if you have family visiting the US (on a valid US tourist visa), then they could visit Mexico as well without need for a Mexican visa - as long as entry is via the USA - as per:

 

"Starting May 1st, 2010, all foreigners, regardless of their nationality, visiting Mexico as tourists, transmigrate or for business matters will not need a visa for Mexico as long as they hold a valid US visa and arrive in Mexico from the United States."

 

Things can change, and these appear to be the rules as at Jan 2013!!!

 

Thanks for this link. I'm American and my wife is Canadian, so we always have to be prepared for different rules. This site makes it easy to click between US and Canadian requirements as well.

[xitappers2bx]

I was just thinking ... Does a non-US citizen that has a US permanent resident visa ("green card"), but traveling on a Philippines passport need some kind of visa to get off the ship in Cozumel, or can they go just like any US citizen can?

 

And do US citizens need to take there passport on a 4 day cruise from Miami to Key West and Cozumel ... or just an ID such as a US driver's license?

 

Thank's

 

to be on the safe side, check the state department equivalent Philippino website... that would tell you for certain (and wouldn't it be better to have it just in case?)

 

It's easier to take the passport, we've travelled both with and without it... without it, they can deny you boarding... so it was worth the extra expense (and considering kids need a new one every 5 years, a nuisance too) just in case.

[Cyn7]

We always get the following letter because my husband is an Australian Citizen but is a Resident Alien (Green Card Holder).:

 

Dear Travel Partner,

 

As you may already know, effective January 12, 2009, all Visa Waiver Program (VWP) travelers are required to have an electronic travel authorization via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (E.S.T.A). Homeland Security has developed a web based system that determines the eligibility of visitors from Visa Waiver Program countries (VWP) to travel to the United States. Please note citizens of the following countries who are NOT U.S Residents (ARC- "Green Card" holders), must fulfill this requirement or entry to the United States may be denied.

 

Which countries participate in the Visa Waiver program?

 

Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Republic of South Korea, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

 

 

Travelers must enter information into the following secure website:

http://www.cbp.gov/esta.

 

The Visa Waiver Program allows foreign nationals from certain countries to travel to the United States for business or pleasure, for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Travelers admitted under the Visa Waiver Program must agree to waive their rights to review or appeal, as explained in the Waiver of Rights section of the Application screen.

 

See Who is eligible to apply for admission under the Visa Waiver Program? For further information refer to § 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, 8 U.S.C. §1187, and 8 C.F.R. § 217.

 

Thank you for your attention to this important requirement for travel to the United States as of January 12,2009. Please be reminded that failure to fulfill the requirement may result in denied entry to the United States.

 

Your corresponding reservation numbers are listed on the following page.

 

Sincerely,

 

Carnival Cruise Lines

Carnival Cruise Lines· 3655 NW 87 Avenue· Miami, Florida 33178-2428

 

 

 

It's more an issue of getting back into the US and I would recommend you take her Passport and Green Card. If you take her Drivers License then you will need her Birth Certificate as well.

 

Since the Philippines isn't on this list you might want to go to the website to verify if you have to do this Waiver or not for her to get back into the US.

[Starlight Durban Cruising]

We always get the following letter because my husband is an Australian Citizen but is a Resident Alien (Green Card Holder)....

 

It's more an issue of getting back into the US and I would recommend you take her Passport and Green Card. If you take her Drivers License then you will need her Birth Certificate as well.

 

Since the Philippines isn't on this list you might want to go to the website to verify if you have to do this Waiver or not for her to get back into the US.

I suspect that letter is just distributed by Carnival "just because they have to hand it out" - although I have never seen it at any time while I was a GC on prior cruises (before I became a citizen last year).

 

Green Card holders do not have to apply for a visitors visa/VWP/ESTA/waiver to come into the US. They just have to provide Green Card + foreign Passport + answer question proving that they were not outside of the US for more than 6 months on the current trip (i.e. they did not relinquish residency).

 

The Green Card will not be accepted without the foreign passport. A Drivers License + foreign birth certificate will not be accepted at the point of entry as Immigration person will ask, "were you born overseas, where is your passport with tourist entry visa. .... OK, so you are a Green Card holder and not a tourist? So where is your Green Card + foreign passport?"

 

A visitors visa/VWP/ESTA/waiver is for non-residents - the total opposite of a resident (Green Card holder).

[gtalum]

Check with Carnival about your wife's Phillipines passport. If it's not sufficient they won't allow her to board.

[uksimonusa]

Check with Carnival about your wife's Phillipines passport. If it's not sufficient they won't allow her to board.

 

She wont be allowed to board with just her phillipines passport, as the Phillipines is not a VWP country, and she will have no visa. She will be allowed to board with her green card as that gives her the right to live and work in the US

[Turbo6ta]

My wife (holder of a Philippines passport and US green card) just got back to the United States from a visit to the Philippines about 1 month ago.

 

She had no problem entering back in the US when going through Imigrations at the Detroit airport.

 

I would think that coming back to the US from a 4 day cruise to Mexico would be no different.

 

She just shows her Philippines passport and her US "Legal Permanent Resident" card (green card) when she arrives back in the US.

[mwil12886321]

My fiance' is from Jamaica, but is a green card holder. Jamaica is not on the list either, and all he needed was his green card. We didn't use his passport because we are in the process of trying to get it renewed.