US citizens will soon need passports to re-enter the US from the Dominican Republic. The program ?The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative? is phasing in the requirement for all US travelers to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Under current regulations, a birth certificate and driver?s license would suffice for travel to the Dominican Republic. This changes at the end of this year. The passport rule will be imposed on air and sea travel to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central and South America on 31 December 2005, and will be extended to Canada and Mexico on 31 December 2006.