Child Travel to Canada - Confirmation about Birth Certificate/Passport

[mmbrad02]

I've googled and read this topic but I wanted to see if anyone had any real life confirmation to what I *think* is correct

Background Info:
My husband, myself, and my daughter (15) all have our passports.
We plan to travel to Niagara Falls NY and Canada summer 2026

My daughter's passport is good until September 24, 2026. She turns 16 on October 28, 2026. At age 16, she can get an adult passport, so I really do not want to renew hers prior to next October so we can get it for 10 years verses 5 years for a child passport.

The trip to Niagara Falls is late July 2026. 1) In theory, DD's passport is still valid on the dates of our trip, but I know many places want it to be good for at least 6 months further 2) I read children under 16 can go to Canada on a birth certificate and no passport at all.

So what I want to do is take our trip to Niagara Falls, take all of our passports, and also take DD's birth certificate as a back up. Then in October apply for her adult passport.

Does this sound like it will work?

 

[lanejudy]

That works fine. The Passport only needs to be valid for your dates of travel to/from Canada.

 

[firefly_ris]

I live near the border and my kids have gone several times (oldest is now 15 1/2) and they don't have passports. I just take birth certificates. Shouldn't be a problem. Having the child passport will be a bonus.

 

[barkley]

2) I read children under 16 can go to Canada on a birth certificate and no passport at all.

when we took our (then) under age 16 kids they did not have passports but we did get them our state's issued enhanced I.d.-this way they had a photo I.d.

 

[tvguy]

We has an absolutely horrible Canadian Immigration experience with our then 2 year old son in Calgary traveling with just a Birth Certificate. I also had a letter from the Canadian Consulate saying THAT was all we needed. Yes, on PAPER that is all you need, but as the Immigration official put it...."there is no photo on a birth certificate, no way for me to know if this is in fact, the child listed on the birth certificate". They took about 20 minutes and had several different people come over before they decided to let us through. It was very stressful
As my mom was from Canada and I have a lot of family there, we have made a lot of trips to Canada over the years. Our daughter was 3 on her first trip to Canada, WITH a Passport. No issues. I'd highly recommend you just bite the bullet and renew the Passport.

 

[robotsneedlove2]

Your daughter will be fine with her current passport.

"but I know many places want it to be good for at least 6 months" - I have also heard of this guideline. But it applies to being prepared if an emeregency would prevent you from traveling back.

We traveled to Tronoto this past July via Niagara Falls. Immigration was quick and friendly going into Canada. Immigration back into the US was quick. We needed to state everyone nationality in the car as we handed over passports.

Safe travels!

 

[mmbrad02]

Thank you everyone! She also (newly) has her driving permit and we got the REAL ID for that, so we will be sure to have that with us as well. That's a total of two photo ID's plus birth certificate. Surely that will be enough, fingers crossed It will be a 3 night trip at most (if we stay on the Canadian side) or a day trip if we stay on the US side.

 

[AppleDumpling]

Am I correct that you are driving across the border from the US? In that case, a child under 16, accompanied by both parents, needs only a birth certificate. (If only one parent or with someone other than a parent, you would also need a letter of parental consent).

If flying from the US to Canada, a passport is required for a child of any age.

Another option is that you can walk over the border via the pedestrian walkway on the Rainbow Bridge that connects Niagara Falls, NY to Niagara Falls, Ontario. You must pass through customs on the way with the appropriate ID and pay a $1 toll on your return. Lots of people do this, visiting the Canadian side as a day trip (or vice versa). Great view of the falls from the bridge.

 

[maddiel]

We has an absolutely horrible Canadian Immigration experience with our then 2 year old son in Calgary traveling with just a Birth Certificate. I also had a letter from the Canadian Consulate saying THAT was all we needed. Yes, on PAPER that is all you need, but as the Immigration official put it...."there is no photo on a birth certificate, no way for me to know if this is in fact, the child listed on the birth certificate". They took about 20 minutes and had several different people come over before they decided to let us through. It was very stressful
As my mom was from Canada and I have a lot of family there, we have made a lot of trips to Canada over the years. Our daughter was 3 on her first trip to Canada, WITH a Passport. No issues. I'd highly recommend you just bite the bullet and renew the Passport.

Your kids are around 30 now, aren't they? A lot of changes have happened with border crossings between when your son was 2 and now.

We travelled to the US from Canada back in the early 2000s when passports were not required for air travel. We got our girls provincial photo IDs. On our first Disney trip we split up and each took a child with us because we used points for two of the flight,s so we also travelled with notarized documents giving the other parent permission to take the child out of the country. They didn't ask for the documents, but the US customs officer questioned our older child about our travel arrangements when we pre-cleared in Montreal. There was a lot of concern about parental abductions around that time - that's why we had the documents made up. I wouldn't be surprised if that's why you were questioned,

 

[tvguy]

Your kids are around 30 now, aren't they? A lot of changes have happened with border crossings between when your son was 2 and now.

We travelled to the US from Canada back in the early 2000s when passports were not required for air travel. We got our girls provincial photo IDs. On our first Disney trip we split up and each took a child with us because we used points for two of the flight,s so we also travelled with notarized documents giving the other parent permission to take the child out of the country. They didn't ask for the documents, but the US customs officer questioned our older child about our travel arrangements when we pre-cleared in Montreal. There was a lot of concern about parental abductions around that time - that's why we had the documents made up. I wouldn't be surprised if that's why you were questioned,

Almost 40. But having them raised, I can not tell you how many times that Passport was sooooo helpful for non travel uses. I thought the DMV clerk was going to kiss me when I brought both my daughter's birth certificate and her Passport to get her first license. She grabbed the Passport and said that satisfied everything she needed. Using the birth certificate would have required three levels of supervisors to look at the BC to verify that it was authentic.
I went through Canadian Immigration in September but that was on a cruise. Immigration officers came on board with laptops and I think between them using facial recognition and scanning my Passport, it took 30 seconds, but the process took 4 hours for 3,600 passengers before they would let anyone off the ship.

 

[bcla]

Theoretically, Canada allows US citizens (over 16) to enter Canada with the birth certificate and a photo ID, although that's not considered acceptable on the return to the US.

As far as I know, Canada doesn't have a specific expiration date requirement for US passports. But in my experience they'll ask questions about where you're going, where you're staying, and when you plan on returning. So they might not allow someone to enter if the passport expires during the declared trip. But it sounds like it should be fine.

And if it's a birth certificate as a backup, it needs to be a real certified copy and not a photocopy.

They might also be a little bit particular about who the parents are, since they deal with divorced families where they might require proof of custody. I would think the birth certificate is a way to demonstrate that both birth parents are accompanying the child. That being said, I've entered Canada with my wife and kid and we were never asked. Just showed the passport or passport card and that was enough.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...-canada/minor-children-travelling-canada.html

 

[PrincessShmoo]

But in my experience they'll ask questions about where you're going, where you're staying, and when you plan on returning.

We recently visited Canada as a one day side trip (in our car). We were asked why we were coming to Canada, and how long we were going to stay.

 

[bcla]

We recently visited Canada as a one day side trip (in our car). We were asked why we were coming to Canada, and how long we were going to stay.

I've certainly gone on one day trips where we didn't have a hotel room or anything. But we mentioned that to CBSA.

I've been asked all sorts of questions. Like if it was our car (have borrowed my BIL's car as well as drove a rental). When we mentioned a multi-day stay, we were asked if we were staying at a hotel or with friends. Just be prepared to answer all manner of questions at the border. They could possibly ask to see the contents of a mobile device. Even US CBP can do that.

 

[barkley]

They might also be a little bit particular about who the parents are, since they deal with divorced families where they might require proof of custody. I would think the birth certificate is a way to demonstrate that both birth parents are accompanying the child.

i'll add that if the birth certificate names one of the parents by even a slightly different name than whatever the parent is using for their I.d. then it's best to bring some form of proof that shows you are the parent (not just someone with a similar name). we had to do this when traveling outside the u.s. when our kids were minors b/c their b.c.'s (they did not have passports at the time) showed my married last name while my legal I.d. had me with 2 last names b/c when I got married I said I wanted to retain my maiden as a second middle name and there is no rhyme or reason to how different governmental entities have chosen to name me-some show me Barkley initial inital married last name and some show me as Barkley initial maiden last name married last name we would schlep along my bc and marriage licence to show the evolution of my name.


on the divorced parent aspect-i will never forget getting ready in the u.s. to board a cruise ship and waiting to go through the pre-screening behind a family who were in a screaming fit b/c they were being denied entry to the boarding area. from the screaming it seems some of the kids were from a prior relationship and no letter of consent for those minor kids to leave the country had been brought.

 

[brockash]

I've googled and read this topic but I wanted to see if anyone had any real life confirmation to what I *think* is correct

Background Info:
My husband, myself, and my daughter (15) all have our passports.
We plan to travel to Niagara Falls NY and Canada summer 2026

My daughter's passport is good until September 24, 2026. She turns 16 on October 28, 2026. At age 16, she can get an adult passport, so I really do not want to renew hers prior to next October so we can get it for 10 years verses 5 years for a child passport.

The trip to Niagara Falls is late July 2026. 1) In theory, DD's passport is still valid on the dates of our trip, but I know many places want it to be good for at least 6 months further 2) I read children under 16 can go to Canada on a birth certificate and no passport at all.

So what I want to do is take our trip to Niagara Falls, take all of our passports, and also take DD's birth certificate as a back up. Then in October apply for her adult passport.

Does this sound like it will work?

Assuming your driving; should be fine. I've never tried it flying and I think it's more strict by air.