By Shiromi Nassreen
Visitors to
Canada from all countries except the
United States are required to have a passport book (and possibly a visa) to enter the country. U.S. citizens are not required to carry a passport book to enter Canada under all circumstances, but documentation is needed. The documentation needed depends on whether the U.S. citizen is entering Canada via land, sea or air.
Passport Book
Visitors from the United States traveling to Canada by either air, land or sea can show a passport book to enter the country. However, passport books are required for U.S. citizens entering Canada via a third country, for U.S. air travelers, and for citizens of all other countries entering Canada.
Passport Card
U.S. citizens who enter Canada via land or sea and who will return by land or sea have the option of presenting a passport card instead of a passport book. However, it is important to remember that passport cards are not valid for air travel.
Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)
For permanent residents and U.S. citizens, a third option for entering Canada exists besides a passport book or passport card. Visitors may present WHTI- compliant documents. For those seeking entry via land or sea, a visitor may present documents like a travelers card issued from NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI; a state-issued enhanced driver's license (only a few states that border Canada offered this option as of June 2009); or enhanced tribal identification cards. For those seeking WHTI-compliant documents for air travel (as well as land and sea), U.S. military ID cards, provided they go along with valid orders, are acceptable. Other valid documents include U.S. Merchant Mariner documents, for those traveling on official business; U.S. permanent resident cards (otherwise known as green cards); and NEXUS cards provided that they are used at a NEXUS kiosk.
About the Author:
Shiromi Nassreen is a British writer. She holds a B.A. in theatre studies from Rose Bruford College of Speech & Drama and has been writing professionally for three years. She writes primarily travel and outdoor articles on Hawaii. Her articles have appeared in Dysfunkshion Magazine as well as Illusion Television and Matador Travel.
