Passports for kids to go to Canada

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Canada is another country. I'm not sure why you would be so presumptuous as to not have a passport.

Because before 9/11, you could enter Canada without a passport. I remember when I was 15 (mid 90's) and I crossed with friends (also 15) on Rainbow Bridge on bicycle into Canada. Our only "id" was our high school student cards, which back then was basically a laminated piece of paper cut into a card shape. We got in, and back into the US, without problems.

[Anonymous]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-d-chalmers/the-great-american-passpo_b_1920287.html

Depends on how you look at the numbers, but anyway you slice it, less than half of Americans have passports.

[Anonymous]

The rules have changed a lot over the years for crossing to/from Canada. In the 90s I traveled there quite a bit, and on one occasion ended up on a flight next to a couple who rushed on just before the doors closed. They had driven into Canada (taken a bus across the border as part of a tour), and were flying home. To cross into Canada, they hadn't needed a photo ID. To fly home, they needed a photo ID, which neither had. The ticket agents grilled them about their state (the woman lamented she didn't know the answer to "who's your governor"), and satisfied that they were who they said they were, let them on the plane. Times have changed, no?

Yes, the rules are currently different for children traveling to Canada - they don't need passports.

And the PP is correct, most Americans don't have passports.

[Anonymous]

You don't need them by land for kids under 18, just birth certificate. You need them for everyone by air.

[Anonymous]

PP again - should have said, kids don't need passports to drive across the border.

And to the person who asked why a PP hadn't taken vacations, really?? Do you truly not know people who don't have the resources to take vacations?

[Anonymous]

It is a dumb question -- OP knows how to use the internet to get the answer. You really turned to a board of unknown people to get an answer to a question that is readily available on the Canadian government website and then expect not to have people wonder how ridiculous it is?

[Anonymous]

Here's the official State Department guidance on entering Canada:

Travel Documents: Both the U.S. and Canadian governments urge frequent travelers to join the NEXUS trusted traveler program. NEXUS members receive a special travel card that allows expedited border crossings for both private and commercial travelers through both U.S. and Canadian border controls.

Entry into Canada: Canadian law requires that all persons entering Canada carry both proof of citizenship and proof of identity. A valid U.S. passport, passport card, or NEXUS card satisfies these requirements for U.S. citizens.

Children under 16 need only present proof of U.S. citizenship.

Entry into the United States: When traveling by air from Canada, U.S. citizens are required by U.S. law to present a U.S. passport book, except as noted in the few exceptions provided on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.

For entry into the United States via land and sea borders, U.S. citizens must present either a U.S. passport, passport card, NEXUS card, Enhanced Drivers License, or other Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant document. The only exception to this requirement is for U.S. citizens under the age of 16 (or under 19, if traveling with a school, religious, or other youth group) who need only present a birth certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or naturalization certificate.

From: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1082.html#entry_requirements

[Anonymous]

According to the Canadian govt website, US citizens do not need a passport, at any age:

Non-Canadians

Requirements to Enter Canada

When you enter Canada, a CBSA officer may ask to see your passport and a valid visa, if one is necessary. If you are a citizen of the United States, you do not need a passport to enter Canada. However, you should carry proof of your citizenship, such as a birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or naturalization, as well as photo identification. If you are a permanent resident of Canada or the U.S, you should bring your Permanent Resident Card with you.


http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/security-securite/admiss-eng.html


I would call to confirm however.

[Anonymous]

FWIW Canada also has strict rules on children traveling with only one parent, at least at airports. A permission letter is frequently required in Canada saying the one parent has permission from the other to travel internationally with the kids. Not sure how it is at land crossings or if it applies in this case but thought worth mentioning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Government website seems to suggest passport not needed for minors if traveling by land. Only birth certificate. Is that true?

That is my understanding-- crossing by land under the age of 16 you only need a birth certificate (plus you may need a consent letter if both custodial parents are not present)

http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/whti_bg/whti_state_factsheet.ctt/whti_state_factsheet.pdf

We tried to do this last summer with my kids, all three of whom are less than 16. We were told no problem getting into Canada, but getting back to the US will be a problem. We got this advice at the border from border patrol, so we didn't cross.

That's BS. The entry requirements are the same and in any case the govt can't stop you from entering if you have proof of citizenship.

Agreed. It is insane to think that they would deny US citizens with proof of citizenship entry back into the US!

[Anonymous]

The strict rules on children traveling with only one parent also apply when you travel by train.

When my kids were younger, I brought their dad's death certificate with me when we traveled, just in case. The only place I was actually asked to get it out was on the train traveling from New York to Montreal, at the border crossing. There also was a woman with 3 young children traveling to visit family, who didn't have a letter from her husband. She was asked by the agent if she could speak with the oldest child, then the 8-year-old was asked questions about "Was daddy working", etc.

A teen friend of my son's was with us. I brought a permission letter with me signed by his mother [and stating that she had sole legal custody] with me. I also had to get that out, and it was read.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The strict rules on children traveling with only one parent also apply when you travel by train.

When my kids were younger, I brought their dad's death certificate with me when we traveled, just in case. The only place I was actually asked to get it out was on the train traveling from New York to Montreal, at the border crossing. There also was a woman with 3 young children traveling to visit family, who didn't have a letter from her husband. She was asked by the agent if she could speak with the oldest child, then the 8-year-old was asked questions about "Was daddy working", etc.

A teen friend of my son's was with us. I brought a permission letter with me signed by his mother [and stating that she had sole legal custody] with me. I also had to get that out, and it was read.

I have an 8 year old who I have been travelling alone with since he was 6 months and I still pull out the notarized copy of the court order stating I have sole custody and that I can travel without dad). I noticed I wasn't asked last time but I pulled it out anyway. I'm wondering at what point I can stop carrying this court order around.