Walking across the border to Mexico from Nogales AZ

Question

My daughter is visiting from East Texas. She'd love to go across the border with us to do some shopping. We've lived in Amado AZ for 6 years, but never crossed the border. Our plans are to just walk across and be there for a few hours. Do we have to have a passport to do that? We have never had one, so I don't guess we'll be going if that's the case now. Seems excessive for just a few hours.

Answer

Yes, if you want to walk across the border from Nogales, Arizona into Nogales, Sonora (Mexico), each U.S. citizen, including your daughter, will need a valid passport or other accepted travel document. Since you mentioned that none of you have a passport, you would not be able to legally enter Mexico without one.

Here’s a breakdown of the requirements and options:

Passport Book or Card: U.S. citizens can use a passport book for international travel by land, sea, or air. A passport card is a less expensive, wallet-sized option valid for land and sea crossings between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL): Some states issue EDLs that are acceptable for land and sea crossings to Mexico, but Arizona does not currently offer an EDL.
Children: Anyone under 16 may use a birth certificate and photo ID for land crossings, but your daughter must carry appropriate documentation if she is over 16.

Since your trip would just be for a few hours of shopping, the passport requirement may seem excessive. Unfortunately, there is no legal way for U.S. citizens to walk into Mexico from Nogales without proper identification. Attempting to cross without documentation could result in fines, denial of entry, or more serious legal issues.

Alternative options include:

Plan ahead to get passports for everyone; the process can take several weeks, but it will allow you to safely and legally cross into Mexico in the future.
Shop on the U.S. side near the border. Nogales, AZ, has some Mexican goods and markets, although the selection is smaller than in Nogales, Sonora.
Consider a guided tour that handles cross-border logistics, although even these tours require proper documentation for each participant.

In summary, walking across the border into Mexico from Nogales without a passport is not possible for adults. You’ll need to obtain a passport or other valid travel document before planning a short shopping trip across the border.

Walking across the border to Mexico from Nogales AZ

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