Do I Need a Passport to Visit Canada?

^{Edited 11/23/06: The passport situation has changed again -- read the latest passport news.}

The short answer: no, you don't need a passport to visit or return from traveling to Canada in 2006; you can travel with an official (embossed state seal needed) birth certificate *and* a government issued id, like a driver's license -- you will have to prove who you are and that you are an American citizen when entering Canada and when returning to the US.

According to the US Department of State's proposed timeline, you will need a passport for air or sea travel to Canada after December 31, 2006. You may want to get one now, though; it's the US customs officials who will give you the fisheye if you don't have a passport when you return, regardless of how you got there. Headed out for spring break? You can probably get one in under two weeks and may be able to get a passport in a few days.

• How to get your first passport
• How to get a passport in a rush
• How to get a passport without a birth certificate
• Do I need a passport to visit Mexico?
• What documents do I need for student travel?

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