I will be returning home from Florida via driving on January 4, 2008. Do you think I will need a passport?
April 26, 2010 by
Filed under canada vacation homes
We are leaving around December 20th for a 2 week vacation, but the new law starts in 2008 when we will be returning. Would I need a passport to come back home into Canada
You won’t need the passport, but I would highly recommend having the passport with you in case of emergency or an overbearing immigration official.
No, you do not need a passport to drive between the U.S. and Canada until AFTER SUMMER 2008. See website below to read the CURRENT announcement.
Although the deadline for having a passport has been extended from January and is now June 2008, I would not wait until the last minute to get the passports.
I applied for my new passport on October 2nd and got it in the mail October 30th, so it is not too late. You can fill out the form online or print it out, or get the forms from the post office. The annoying part is getting to the office about 20-30 minutes before it opens and having to wait 2-3 hrs to get the application submitted and paid for.
Key things to remember:
1) You need to use a valid birth certificate to apply. No photocopies. And for people born before 1974, keep in mind that you need an official birth certificate from your province…A baptismal certificate from the church is no longer accepted.
2) Get valid passport photos taken at the pharmacy or a photographer’s studio.
3) Make sure that the right signatures are on the right lines. Make sure that the dates that you signed the form correspond to the date that your guarantor signs.
4) Your guarantor can now be anyone who has known you for at least two years and who already has their passport. See the note from the passport website.
If you are a citizen of Canada, US, or Mexico and drving across the border … no, you can still pass with a photo ID (US or Canada driver’s license, military ID, or passport) AND proof of citizenship (passport, birth certificate, and/or naturalization papers).
This is true until 01 June 2008 (was originally scheduled to require a passport as of 01 January 2008).
However, you MUST have both photo ID AND proof of citizenship. The passport is by far the easiest way to accomplish this, and you’ll need one for future travels anyway. Start now – avoid the rush.
If not a citizen of US, Canada, or Mexico – you DO require a passport (and probably a visa of some form).
If you are a permanent resident, you need to bring your permanent residency documents (green card) with you as well.