Is a passport required to enter/leave Canada?

Question

I wanted to go to Canada for New Years, entering through Washington. I heard that you need a passport to enter either the first of January or the 7th. Do you know which day it is? And if I enter before 2007 without one, will I be able to leave?
Any help will be great! :)

Answer 1

You do not need a passport to GO to Canada. What you need however is a passport to RETURN to the USA. The day this becomes effective for travel by AIR is January 23, 2007. (that was org January 8; was pushed back)

By land and sea travel, you will need your passport by the earliest January 1, 2008.

The reason you do not need your passport from some places, is because this the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. If you look at the link I am listing, that will help.

(all this is assuming you are American or Canadian)

Answer 2

I'm a little confused. If you are an American citizen, you don't need to have a passport to enter Canada. If you are from another country, you may need a visa. It's actually the States putting on the restrictions, not Canada. I believe on the 28th of January you will need a passport to enter the States from Canada on an airplane. They haven't settled the date with land entries. You should be alright with valid photo id if you are an American. However, if you're flying out of Canada into the States after the 28th of January you should have a passport to get back into the States. If you are a citizen of another country than the States, check with your local consulate. Happy travels.

Answer 3

Entering Canada, you will just need identication to verify who you are. Your government wants the passport going back into the USA in the new year 2007.

Answer 4

It's Jan. 23 this year that you'll need the passport to go to Canada.

Answer 5

HI,
DEFINATELY U REQUIRE A PASSPORT WHILE LEAVING OR ENTERING THE COUNTRY.

Answer 6

New Requirements for Travelers

* Media Notes
* Flyers & Fact Sheet
* Frequently Asked Questions
* Federal Regulations

Under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)

The proposed implementation timeline has two phases:

* Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable.
* As early as January 1, 2008, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security. While recent legislative changes permit a later deadline, the Departments of State and Homeland Security are working to meet all requirements as soon as possible. Ample advance notice will be provided to enable the public to obtain passports or passport cards for land/sea entries.

The passport requirement does NOT apply to U.S. citizens traveling to or returning directly from a U.S. territory. U.S. citizens returning directly from a U.S. territory are not considered to have left the United States and do not need to present a passport. U.S. territories include the following: Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Travel Documents for U.S. Citizens Under WHTI

Under the proposed implementation plan, the following documents will be acceptable to fulfill document requirements:

* U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport when traveling via air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda, and may also use a U.S. passport when traveling via sea and land borders (including ferry crossings).
* The Passport Card (also referred to as the PASS Card): This limited-use passport in card format is currently under development and will be available for use for travel only via land or sea (including ferries) between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. Similar in size to a credit card, it will fit easily into a wallet.
* DOS and DHS also anticipate that the following documents will continue to be acceptable for their current travel uses under WHTI: SENTRI, NEXUS, FAST, and the U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document. As proposed, members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty traveling on orders will continue to be exempt from the passport requirement.

Background

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to develop and implement a plan to require all travelers, U.S. citizens and foreign nationals alike, to present a passport or other document, or a combination of documents, that denote identity and citizenship when entering the United States. Congress amended portions of the Act in 2006. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is the Administration’s proposed plan to implement this mandate.

The goal of the Initiative is to strengthen border security and facilitate entry into the United States for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized, secure and reliable documentation which will allow the Department of Homeland Security to quickly, reliably and accurately identify a traveler.

Media Notes

* 11/22/2006 Passports Required for Air Travel to United States as of January 23, 2007
* 10/17/2006 Department of State to Introduce Passport Card

Flyers & Fact Sheet

* Fact Sheet - Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (pdfPDF)
* Flyer on Passport Requirement for Air Travel to United States as of January 23, 2007 (pdfPDF)

Frequently Asked Questions

* Frequently Asked Questions about the New Travel Initiative Requirements (FAQs)

Federal Regulations

*
Final Rule - Air Phase (pdf PDF)
*
Proposed Rule - Passport Card (pdf PDF)
*
Comments Submitted in Passport Card Rule Making Proceeding (DOS-2006-0329-0001)

Other Relevant Links

* Department of Homeland Security
* U.S. Customs and Border Protection