A new State Department regulation requiring all airline passengers traveling to Mexico and Canada to carry valid passports will go into effect January 2007, just a few months before many students head south for spring break.

The new regulation comes as Congress looks to implement several measures to tighten the nation’s border control policies. A second phase expanding the passport requirement to people traveling by vehicle is expected to go into effect in 2008. Currently, American citizens may pass through customs from certain North American and Caribbean nations with various forms of identification other than a passport.

STA Travel spokeswoman Christi Day said although she does not believe the new requirements will prevent students from traveling, they would likely hinder students unaware of the requirements when trying to book international flights on short notice.

“It will have an effect on our customers,” Day said. “[Students] are going to be faced with higher fees to get their passports [on time].”

Because the process of issuing a passport can take up to two months, college students who wish to vacation abroad will have to plan further in advance this year, said State Department spokeswoman Laura Tisahler. Day recommended students without passports who plan to travel abroad for spring break should get them while home during winter break.

Tisahler said some travel agencies have offered to help by footing the bill for travelers who now must buy passports, which cost $97. For expedited service, the State Department charges an extra $60.

Tisahler said border officials currently accept more than 50 types of identification from U.S. citizens. She said these forms of identification are far too wide-ranging, making it easy for citizens with falsified documents to enter the country.

“This is a national security issue, and that is why the requirement is going into effect,” she said.

Making a passport the only acceptable identification at U.S. borders would “bring [the regulations] into the 21st century,” Tisahler said.

Tisahler said the State Department has made efforts to make the public aware of the policy changes, including posting a billboard in New York City’s heavily trafficked Times Square area.

Many travelers have already taken note of the new regulations. According to the State Department’s website, almost 12.1 million passports have been issued already this year, compared to only 7.3 million issued in 2003.