Alaska Passport Requirements: Do I Need a Passport to Go to Alaska?
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Alaska Passport Requirements
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How to Get a Passport for Travel to Alaska
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Other Alaska Travel Requirements
Alaska passport requirements often cause confusion for U.S. travelers. You might assume that a passport isn’t required to enter Alaska since it is considered domestic travel within the U.S., but that’s not always true. While Alaska passport requirements state that a passport isn’t required for arrival by plane, a passport is generally necessary when visiting via car, and you may also need one when visiting by cruise ship.
There is a difference in which documents are needed for Alaska passport requirements based on the type of travel to the state. For instance, when arriving by plane, you generally do not need to have a valid passport. There's one exception: Starting on October 1, 2020, everyone will need a REAL ID for air travel, and not all states currently issue driver's licenses that comply with these requirements. If yours doesn't, you may need to carry a passport instead. For more information, see Everything Travelers Need to Know About the REAL ID Act.
If you are traveling by car, and therefore have to cross into Canada to reach Alaska, you'll need a valid passport book, a passport card, or an enhanced driver's license to get through border security.
Do you need a passport for an Alaska cruise? The answer is maybe. If you're taking a closed-loop cruise that departs from and returns to the same U.S. port (such as Seattle), you do not need a passport, even if your itinerary includes calls in Canada; instead, an enhanced driver's license or a birth certificate and regular driver's license will suffice. If your cruise departs from and ends in two different cities, then you'll need a passport.
Keep in mind that you might want to bring a passport even on a closed-loop Alaska cruise in case an emergency strikes and you need to fly home from a Canadian city; driver's licenses and birth certificates are not accepted for international air travel.
Apply for a passport as soon as your travel is confirmed. The cost will be greater if applying for a passport within two weeks of travel time (in which case you will need an expedited application). You can learn more about passport requirements and documents needed to obtain a U.S. passport here.
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