by Jenny
(Dayton, OH USA)
Question
We are going to Canada for my sister's wedding. My daughter is 3 and is in the wedding.
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Answer
There are two things to consider.
Entering Canada: U.S. citizens are not required to present a passport when entering Canada. They must show a government-issued photo ID such as a valid Driver’s License and proof of U.S. citizenship such as a U.S. birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or expired U.S. passport. Children under sixteen need only present proof of U.S. citizenship.
Returning to U.S.: When returning to the United States from Canada, it is very important to note that all U.S. citizens are required to present a valid U.S. passport book to enter or re-enter the United States via air. 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 (original, photocopy or certified copy), Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or naturalization certificate.
NOTE: If one parent will not be making the trip, it is recommended that the accompanying parent have a letter of authorization from the other parent to take the child on a trip out of the country.
In summary, if you plan to travel by air, your daughter will need a passport. Otherwise, it is not necessary. If you need to obtain a passport for your daughter, you can click on the link for complete instructions.
How to Apply for a Child's Passport
If you need to get her passport quickly, you can request expedited services to get it in 2-3 weeks. If you need it before then, you can apply at the New Orleans Passport Agency which serves residents of Ohio or apply through a private passport expediting service.
Return to Passport for Travel to Canada.
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Comments & Responses
Entering Canada by Cruise line
by: Lisa
Question
I will be flying into Seattle and then taking a cruise that stops in Canada before returning to the US. I am traveling with my legal 7 year old grandson who does not currently have a passport. His mother; my daughter recently passed away; but my son-in-law is not traveling with us. Does my grandson need a passport or just his original birth certificate? I know I will need to get a notarized letter from his dad allowing me to take him. What other documentation will I need?
Answer
The child's original birth certificate, the mother's death certificate and a notarized travel consent from the father should suffice.
Need ORIGINAL birth certificates?
by: Anonymous
Question
A Niagara falls tour operator is insisting that we bring original birth certificate paper for our 10 and 12-year-old US citizens -- even though they each (and the parents) have their own valid US passports. Do we really need to also bring original birth certificates on a wet boat tour? Or is the tour operator wrong to insist on that? Thanks!
Answer
Minors age 15 and under may travel with either their original birth certificates/citizenship certificates OR valid U.S. passports. Both documents attest to the bearer's U.S. citizenship. A passport is all you need to cross borders between Canada and the United States. Having said that, tour operators have the liberty to impose their own requirements. We suggest you call them again and verify.
You may show them this page on the Department of State's website: travel.state.gov (Canada Country Information)
15-16 yearsold
by: Anonymous
Question
I will be crossing the Canadian boarder by car with my husband and our 15-year-old son. My son will turn 16 while we are in Canada. Can we get back into the U.S. with just his birth certificate? He will not have a driver's license (enhanced or otherwise) prior to our trip, as he's still 15. And it seems wasteful to spend the money to get a passport for him at 15, when it will expire in 5 years, as opposed to waiting until he's 16 when it will expire in 10 years?
Answer
Your son will need a passport to re-enter the United States. To remedy the wastefulness of applying for a minor's passport valid for 5 years as opposed to the 10-year valid passport, you can apply in Canada once your son turns 16.
Please gather all the requirements for a new passport before your trip so you have everything in order once you apply.
Cruise
by: Anonymous
Question
Wife and I are taking children (age 4 and 3) on a trip. Driving into Canada. Flying from Winnipeg to Vancouver, BC. Getting on cruise ship in Vancouver, BC and then have stops in Alaska, US. Cruise ends back in Vancouver, BC. Fly back from Vancouver, BC to Winnipeg. Drive back from Winnipeg to US and enter thru land. Do our children need a passport or will original birth certificate be sufficient? Thank you!
Answer
For entry to Canada and re-entry to the United States, the children will only need their U.S, birth certificates. But with the current climate (CoViD19), we strongly advise getting passports for them in case immediate travel by air is required.
Can a 14-year-old travel alone to Canada?
by: Anonymous
Question
My son is 14 years old. He is a US citizen holding a US passport. Can he travel alone to Canada without his parents or any other adult? Will he need a letter from his parents permitting him to travel alone to Canada to see his cousins?
Answer
Yes, the child may travel alone to Canada but he may be subject to questioning. He must present the following upon arrival:
Daughter's friend coming with us to Canada for day trip
by: Ed
Question
My daughter and her friend want to take a day trip via the Coho ferry to Victoria. He has an enhanced license. What does he need to re-enter the US at Port Angeles?
Answer
An enhanced driver's license is sufficient for re-entry into the United States coming from Canada by land or sea. Additionally, if this traveler is under 18, he needs consent to travel signed by a custodial parent/s.
Trip to Canada without passport
by: Anonymous
Question
Me and my wife are U.S citizens, and two of my children (14, and 13) became automatic U.S citizens but do not yet have a certificate of naturalization, and/or passport but they do however have a greencard, can they go through land to Canada with me and my wife, using the green card?
Answer
U.S. citizens are required to present a valid U.S. passport to enter the United States. You should obtain passports for your children before your trip. If you need them quickly, you can apply at a regional passport agency or through a registered passport courier.
Since your children have not been issued Certificates of Citizenship by USCIS, the passport applications must include the following proof of acquisition of citizenship under the INA Section 320:
For further requirements, visit http://uspsg.net/childppt
Newborn travel
by: Anonymous
Question
My daughter is 3 days old; we have a wedding to go to in Canada in 18 days. I will not have her birth certificate by then. What else could I use to cross the boarder into Canada and then return back to the U.S? My husband and I are U.S. citizens.
Answer
Minors age 15 and under are required to a present at least a birth certificate as evidence of U.S. citizenship to enter Canada and re-enter the United States.
Please contact the Canada Border Service Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection for advice.
Can my 8-year-old's father take him to Canada and back without my consent letter?
by: Laurel
Question
I see that the wording states it is "recommended" if only one parent is taking your minor child to Canada, but could a forgery be done or would they still let him in with my son with just a birth certificate and no letter of consent or a fake letter? My son has been on the passport protection program for years now, and I am the custodial parent. But he has threatened to leave the country with his new Canadian wife that has dual citizenship now and take my son and disappear. What do I need to do to avoid this?
Answer
Please visit the Department of State's resource center for preventing parental abduction.
birth certificate issued 1.5 years after birth
by: Anonymous
Question
My daughter, age 11, has same-sex parents. When she was born, it was not possible to put both female parents' names on the birth certificate. A year later, the state of Calif. changed their policy and issued a new birth certificate with both female parents' names. So, her birth certificate was issued 1.5 years after she was born. I am planning to take this birth certif. with me to Canada. Am I going to run into any trouble since the birth certif was issued more than a year after her birth? It was "accepted for registration" only a couple weeks after her birth, but the "date issued" is 1.5 years later.
Answer
The birth certificate should suffice as evidence of yoru daughter's citizenship and identity. Please contact the Canada Border Services Agency for confirmation.