Passports & Visas
U.S. Visitors to Canada
International Visitors to Canada
Canada Border Regulations - Convention Services Program
Entry into Canada for Foreign Nationals with Criminal Convictions or Equivalent
Passports & Visas FAQ
Bring the Experience Home America. Apply for your U.S. passport or NEXUS card.
Soon Americans returning home via land and sea from any international destination will need to show a passport or other secure travel document.
By June 1, 2009, or earlier, a new American law, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), will require anyone, including U.S. citizens, entering or re-entering the United States by land and sea to have a passport or other appropriate secure document.
WHTI currently requires anyone, including U.S. citizens, entering or re-entering the United States by air to have a passport or a NEXUS card when used at a NEXUS kiosk at designated airports.
At this point, only requirements for travel by air to the United States have changed. Americans can continue to use documents such as their birth certificates and government-issued photo identification (e.g. driver's license) to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land and sea until the WHTI is fully implemented.
Visit the U.S. Department of State website frequently for international travel updates.
For detailed information about obtaining or renewing your U.S. passport, visit the U.S. Department of State, Passport Services Office, or access U.S. passport application services from the United States Postal Service.
The NEXUS program is limited to citizens of Canada and the United States, lawful permanent residents of the United States and permanent residents of Canada. For information on how to apply, visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.
For detailed information on entry requirements, including medical exams, working or studying in Canada, and what you are permitted to bring into Canada, visit the Canada International website.
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International visitors to Canada (not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents) must carry a valid passport and, if required, a visa. Citizens from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Mexico, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and others do not require a visa to enter Canada. Visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website for a complete listing of countries whose citizens require visas to enter Canada.
All other visitors should contact their Canadian consulate or embassy to learn what documents are required. Contact information for Canadian embassies around the world can be found at the Foreign Affairs Canada website.
To learn more about Canadian customs regulations, visit the Canada Border Services Agency website.
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Follow these steps and your border crossing process will be simpler:
- Contact the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Convention Services Program, to register your event thirty days to three months in advance, depending upon the logistics of your event.
- An assigned CBSA conventions coordinator will issue your event a "Letter of Recognition" and assist you with any customs-related issues.
- Make a copy of the letter for everyone attending your event including speakers, to submit to the Canada Border Services officer at point of entry.
- Keep a copy of the letter with all shipments of goods.
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As of June 28, 2002, the implementation of the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act changed the rules affecting the admissibility into Canada of foreign nationals who have criminal convictions in Canada or abroad or who have committed criminal acts outside Canada. These include offences that are considered criminal in Canada, such as driving while under the influence of a substance such as alcohol, even if the offence was not considered a felony or criminal offence in the country where it was committed.
For more information go to: Canada Border Services Agency
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1. Do I need a passport to enter Canada?
If you are a U.S. citizen, you only need a document such as your birth certificate and government-issued photo identification (e.g., driver's licence) to enter Canada. By June 1, 2009, or earlier, a new American law, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), will require anyone, including U.S. citizens, entering or re-entering the United States by land and sea to have a passport or other appropriate secure document.
WHTI currently requires anyone, including U.S. citizens, entering or re-entering the United States by air to have a passport or a NEXUS card when used at a NEXUS kiosk at designated airports.
At this point, only requirements for travel by air to the United States have changed. Americans can continue to use documents such as their birth certificates and government-issued photo identification (e.g. driver's license) to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land and sea until the WHTI is fully implemented.
International visitors to Canada who are not U.S. citizens must carry a valid passport and visa (if required). Citizens from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Mexico, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and others do not require a visa to enter Canada. Visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada online for a complete listing.
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2. What are the requirements for children entering Canada?
If you are traveling with children, you must carry identification, such as a birth certificate, proof of citizenship or student visa for each child under 18 years old. Divorced parents who share custody of their children should carry copies of the legal custody documents. Adults who are not parents or guardians must have written permission from the parents or guardians to accompany the children. When traveling with a group of vehicles, parents or guardians should travel in the same vehicle as the children for border crossing.
Customs officers are often looking for missing children and may ask questions about the children who are traveling with you.
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3. New U.S. passport rules will come into effect soon. Will these rules affect my trip to Canada?
Yes. By June 1, 2009, or earlier, a new American law, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), will require anyone, including U.S. citizens, entering or re-entering the United States by land and sea to have a passport or other appropriate secure document.
WHTI currently requires anyone, including U.S. citizens, entering or re-entering the United States by air to have a passport or a NEXUS card when used at a NEXUS kiosk at designated airports.
At this point, only requirements for travel by air to the United States have changed. Americans can continue to use documents such as their birth certificates and government-issued photo identification (e.g. driver's license) to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land and sea until the WHTI is fully implemented.
Visit the U.S. Department of State website frequently for international travel updates.
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4. When the new U.S. passport rules come into effect, will my children require passports?
Currently, all children, regardless of age (including newborns and infants), must have their own passport to enter the United States by air. U.S. travelers to Canada are reminded that divorced parents who share custody of their children should carry copies of the legal custody documents for children less than 18 years old. Adults who are not parents or guardians must have written permission from the parents or guardians to accompany the children. When traveling with a group of vehicles, parents or guardians should travel in the same vehicle as the children for border crossing.
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5. Where can American travelers get a U.S. passport?
First-time passport applicants need to apply in person to one of 8,000 passport acceptance facilities located throughout the United States. Applicants should bring two regulation-size photographs of themselves, proof of U.S. citizenship and a valid form of photo identification, such as a driver's license.
U.S. passport renewals can be done by mail if the recent passport is available to submit, is not damaged, was issued within the past 15 years and you were over age 16 when it was issued. Applicants must either still have the same last name or can show legal proof of name change.
For detailed information about obtaining or renewing your U.S. passport, visit the U.S. Department of State, Passport Services Office, or access U.S. passport application services from the United States Postal Service.
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