Do you need a passport to visit canada or will a driver's license do?

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Poutine

You do not NEED a passport but it can make your life much easier.

Current Requirements for Entry Into Canada

Visas are not required for U.S. citizens entering Canada from the U.S. You will, however, need:

1.
Proof of your U.S. citizenship such as your U.S. passport (For information on obtaining a U.S. passport, check with one of the regional passport agencies located throughout the U.S.) or certified copy of your birth certificate issued by the city, county or state in the U.S. where you were born. If you are a naturalized U.S. citizen and do not have a passport, you should travel with your naturalization certificate. A driverâ€™s license, voterâ€™s registration card or Social Security card is NOT valid proof of citizenship.
2.
Photo identification, such as a current, valid driverâ€™s license.

All U.S. citizens entering Canada from a third country must have a valid passport.

Alien permanent residents of the U.S. must present their Alien Registration Card, commonly called a â€œGreen Card.â€

If you are a dual U.S./Canadian citizen you should always present yourself as a Canadian citizen when entering Canada. However, U.S. citizens should use their U.S. passports when entering or leaving the United States.

Due to international concern over child abduction, single parents, grandparents, or guardians traveling with children often need proof of custody or notarized letters from the other parent authorizing travel. (This is in addition to proof of citizenship as explained above.) Any person under the age of 18 and traveling alone should carry a letter from his/her parent or guardian authorizing the trip. Travelers without such documentation may experience delays at the port of entry.

P.S. The US govt said today that a passport will not likely be required even in 2008 - some sort of card system or special driver's licence will likely be the required ID.

angelhimm

Valid passports are not required to cross the border until July 1/2009. The deadline was extended by 2 years. You only need a drivers license or a birth certificate if you don't drive.

Roxie

Of course you need a passport to get to Canada,and a driver's license won't do.

ecb1980

In the past, a driver's license and birth certificate would work. Given heightened security at the border now, you do need a Passport to visit Canada (assuming you are coming from the US).

jsmth321

If your a US or Canadian citizen a birth certificate and gov't issued photo id is still enough to visit either country.

However the law is set to change at the end of the year and a passport will be required to enter the US, unless US congress delays the new law.

roundater

current requirements:

CANADA â€“ Passport or proof of U.S. citizenship such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and photo ID required. Minors (under 16) traveling alone or in someone elseâ€™s custody must present written authorization, signed before a notary, from the parent(s) or guardian. Visas are not required. Canadian immigration officials at ports of entry will issue persons planning to stay longer than 180 days a visitorâ€™s record. Anyone with a criminal record (including a DWI charge) should contact the Canadian Embassy or nearest Consulate General before travel. U.S. citizens entering Canada from a third country must have a valid passport. HIV testing required for resident applicants who are over 15. A temporary resident applicant requires immigration medical examination if stay exceeds 6 months or seeking to work in Canada. For student or business travel, check with the Canadian Embassy, 501 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20001 (202/682-1740) or the nearest Consulate General: CA (213/346-2701), MI (313/567-2085), NY (212/596-1700 or 716/858-9501), or WA (206/443-1375). Internet: www.canadianembassy.org

proposed requirements:

New Requirements for Travelers

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires that by January 1, 2008, travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada have a passport or other secure, accepted document to enter or re-enter the United States. In order to facilitate the implementation of this requirement, the Administration is proposing to complete it in phases following a proposed timeline, which will be published in the Federal Register in the near future.

In the proposed implementation plan, which is subject to a period of initial public comment, the Initiative will be rolled out in phases, providing as much advance notice as possible to the affected public to enable them to meet the terms of the new guidelines. The proposed timeline will be as follows:

December 31, 2006 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.
December 31, 2007 - Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.
This is a change from prior travel requirements and will affect all United States citizens entering the United States from countries within the Western Hemisphere who do not currently possess valid passports. This new requirement will also affect certain foreign nationals who currently are not required to present a passport to travel to the United States. Most Canadian citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and to a lesser degree, Mexican citizens will be affected by the implementation of this requirement.

best advice - get a passport

chuck s

just a drivers license

southrntrnzplnt

If you are a US citizen all you will need a birth certificate if you dont have a passport.

sexylove all the I do

ya a passport

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