Passport for Florida?

[lisa and john]

Hi all,

I am wondering if a passport is needed to fly to Florida from Canada, or is ID sufficient? Thanks so much!

 

[barb45]

A birth certificate and photo ID (driver's license) should do it. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. That's what we used to board in Detroit to Hawaii and to cross the border from Windsor to Detroit.

 

[pooksma]

From what I've been reading it seems to depend on where you are travelling through and if you have children in your party. We opted to get passports last year just for the peace of mind.

 

[highland3]

Technically... it's just birth certificate and photo id for adults and birth certificate for the kids. I was reading another strong on the board last night, which included a link to USA Today that shows we will have to have passports by 2007 or 2008.

I usually drive across the border and fly from Syracuse. I've never been challenged on my ID.

I'm just sitting here watching my timer count down.... tooo slowly!!!

 

[laurietg]

Birth Certificate or citizenship plus picture ID is required. Kids need the same! We are getting passport for DD 3, as she does not have picture ID.
They have something where you can just a picture ID for kids-but the cost is almost the same as passport, so doesn't make much sense. For kids, I think the cost is $30.00. Don't quote me on that, though. My friend just got a passport for her daughter. She got the application from the post office, filled it out, got picture taken, got app. signed by doctor, took it to passport office, and recieved it back within 2 weeks. Some people think kids just need birth certificate. Maybe I am wrong, but that is what I was told.

 

[Eskie_Lover]

Hubby and I just got back - we don't have passports but they accepted our drivers licence and birth certificate.

 

[highland3]

As long as both parents are travelling with the kids, and everyone has the same last name, the kds require only their birth certificate. Confirmed it today with my TA and TSA in the US.

 

[sapiendut]

According to Air Canada website, reps and my TA, passport is now required if you fly from Canada to US. If you cross the border using car/bus, Citizenship Card/Birth Certificate is enough.

 

[robsawatsky]

According to Air Canada website, reps and my TA, passport is now required if you fly from Canada to US. If you cross the border using car/bus, Citizenship Card/Birth Certificate is enough.

Incorrect.

Direct from the AC website:

"To travel as a visitor from/to Canada, to/from the USA, a valid passport is the preferred document but for a Canadian or US citizen an original birth certificate or a citizenship card/certificate plus a valid government issued picture ID are also accepted."


From Foreign Affairs Canada:

"While U.S. authorities currently do not have a legal requirement that Canadians carry a passport, Foreign Affairs Canada strongly urges all Canadian travellers to obtain and carry one."

From Westjet:

"Canadian citizens travelling to the U.S. require proof of citizenship and photo identification. A passport (must be valid at time of entry) serves both purposes. If entering from Canada, a Canadian Birth Certificate; or Certificate of Canadian Citizenship ...(with photo ID) will be accepted."

From Harmony Airways:

"Citizens of Canada are exempt from the visa and passport requirement of Immigration and Nationality Act section 212(a)(7). To enter the United States, a Canadian citizen must be able to establish both identity and citizenship. Documents that may establish citizenship are: birth certificate, citizenship certificate, and passport. ...
AND a photo identification document, like an unexpired driver's license or military ID."

 

[lisa and john]

Thank you everyone for your help! I will be getting a passport, but my brother in law needs to order a new birth certificate and won't have time to get both the BC and a passport. I did read that by January 2008 we will all be required to have a passport. Thank you for posting the info from airline websites RobSawatzky!

 

[sapiendut]

Thanks for the correction. I'm going to print it out.

I was denied boarding when I was about to go to CES in Las Vegas in January because I didn't have my passport with me. I wasn't the only one who got denied boarding. My colleague on a different day experienced the same thing.

We were both denied boarding by the US officials in Canada regardless the fact that we were going for business, we had our CES passes, hotel reservations and letter from our company AND our citizenship card (for me) and birth certificate (for my colleague)

 

[Amberle3]

The final say on whether your documentation is okay is the US immigration official you deal with. If s/he says you need a passport, then you need a passport. It doesn't what any website says. Even with a passport, they don't HAVE to let you in.

 

[sapiendut]

But it's strange though, they only say that the only reason I'm not allowed to board is because I don't have a passport. So what is the REAL guideline? The one I believe (that everybody should have a passport) or the guideline that everybody else, including those websites, seem to believe (that passport is not necessary)?

 

[Amberle3]

The only real, true piece of identification that says that you are, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a Canadian Citizen is a passport. Period. Yes they can be faked, but it's harder to fake a passport than a birth certificate and driver's license.

Any country has a right to refuse entry to any person for whatever reason they feel like. For all intents and purposes when you're dealing with an immigration officer, you're dealing with "the country". If they decide you're not going in, you're not going in. Period. If they decide that your ID looks faked, you're not going in.

A passport isn't going to guarantee anyone entry to the US, but it does lessen the chances of being turned away. The official word from the Goverment is that, strictly speaking, a passport isn't *necessary*, but is highly recommended for travel outside of Canada.

And come 2008, a passport will be necessary for travel to the US anyway.

 

[sapiendut]

Not to argue here, but a Canadian Citizenship card is also very difficult to forge.

Driver's License and Birth Certificate are, quite honestly, a joke to 'security measures'.

 

[jtdl]

I just received a newsletter in the mail from our MPP which contains an article about Canadian's requiring passports for the US. Apparently there was a "rumour" that Canadian's would soon require passports for entry into US. But he states this is "totally untrue and Canadian's do not and will not require passports to enter the US". He states that, as we all know, there is increased security due to terrorist threats but Canadians do not require a passport. My family went to WDW in February and were not required to show any ID. We live in a border city and I go over to shop now and then and have never been asked to show ID of any kind.

 

[maddiel]

It appears that they can and do decide that certain individuals require a passport, whether or not the general public does or not.

Last summer, they told my husband to get one and, while he was allowed to cross that day he was told that he wouldn't be allowed into the US in the future without one. He was using his original birth certificate which 1) had a slightly different format (it's laminated) than the ones currently being issued and 2) was really, really ratty looking. They took him aside and looked up his photo in their database from when he'd crossed before.

He flies to the US on business regularly and after this happened, I had two other people, who work for different companies but also fly regularly to the US, tell me the same thing had happened to them.

M.

 

[Amberle3]

jtdl, you MPP should know that the "rumour" about passports comes from the US Homeland Security division. As of January 2008 not only will Canadians require passports to get into the US, but any American who leaves the country will require either a passport or a US government issued travel ID card in order to get back into the country.

 

[OntFamily]

It is important to note that to enter the USA without a passport, two conditions must be satisfied:

1) You must be a Canadian citizen
2) you must be entering the USA directly from Canada (ie not from another country or port outside the Western hemisphere)

If you are not a Canadian citizen, you will need a passport. Plus, expect some potential hassle from US customs if you were born outside of Canada.


Check out http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html#11
for more info.

Canada is also exempt from the requirement for machine readable passports.