Going to CANADA: need birth certificate for DH??

[aliceinwonderland]

Ugh, i'm so mad!! He is supposed to leave tonight and just informs me he can't find a birth certificate for himself in the house, just a copy. And of course he has lost his passport TWICE now. i am so mad...

You need an original birth cert., don't you??

Thanks in advance.

[nd93]

I would think a copy would be fine. I would not want to travel with an original, in case it got lost. I used a copy for DD once, but that was years ago and frankly the copy looked just like the original so I don't think the border guard would have noticed anyway.

[aliceinwonderland]

thank you..that's what I'm hoping too. But i am fearful of sending them on their merry way with just a copy, what happens if it's not enough...Ugh.

Thanks again

[Crisyn]

I believe you can also use Citizenship cards, etc. At least in Canada you can.

[Crisyn]

Sorry, posted too fast....

Call a local travel agent and ask what is appropriate for ID.

[ErinMC]

Technically, I think you need an original. When we went to a wedding in Canada in May though (crossed via Niagara Falls, NY) we weren't even asked for our birth certificates! Customs just looked in the car, asked our purpose and length of stay (weekend, for a wedding) and waved us through!

Hope it works out!

Erin

Mom to Chase
Feb. 2004

[aliceinwonderland]

My concern is not with going into Canada, but coming back to the States.

Thanks. I think he will postpone. he is very lucky he's in a different city and I'm at work, as I feel the need to yell at him for a while....

[ctmom]

We were just in Montreal and all we needed to show to get back into the US were our drivers license. We also were told by our travel agent to bring copies of our birth certificates just in case...

[wilelm]

My husband's family lives in Canada and we go often. All we've ever needed were our drivers' licenses, although we take our passports just in case. We cross from Detroit, into Windsor, when we go.

Sheila
Mother of Miriam, 03/10/03 and
Gabriel, 12/30/04

[KrisM]

Here is a government page with some info. http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/regional/regional_1170.html

It says you will need:
1.Proof of your U.S. citizenship such as your U.S. passport (For information on obtaining a U.S. passport, check with one of the regional passport agencies located throughout the U.S.) or certified copy of your birth certificate issued by the city, county or state in the U.S. where you were born. If you are a naturalized U.S. citizen and do not have a passport, you should travel with your naturalization certificate. A driver’s license or Social Security card is NOT valid proof of citizenship.

2. photo identification, such as a current, valid driver’s license.

We always use our passports and are asked for them about 1/2 of the time. We're also asked for DS's birth cert, since he doesn't have a passport yet. I am not sure I'd want to risk not having proof of citizenship.

Sorry he can't find it.

[lilycat88]

Ditto on just needing driver's lic. for going both ways. We've traveled to Quebec and to Nova Scotia after the increased security precautions and that was all we needed. We had passports for backup but didn't even get them out.

Jamelin
Mom to Susanna born 6/29/2004

[MartiesMom2B]

An expired passport will work too. We just came back from Canada last month and while the security was tighter coming back, they didn't look at any documents, except for my cousins expired US passport b/c he was born in Taiwan.

-Sonia
Mommy to my Strawberry Shortcake lovin' Martie

[sarasmom]

Went in and out of Canada last week. Going in they didn't want to see anything. They just asked why we were there. Coming back into the US they only needed drivers license. We had the 3 kids with us and they did not need anything, but they did ask us both ways if the kids were ours. Kind of scary.
Carol
Mom to Stephen 7/1/95
Alyssa 4/15/97
Sara 9/2/03

[amp]

Well, I used to live in the Detroit area and as a teen and 20 something spent a lot of evenings in Canada. Trust me, I wasn't toting my bc around. I never had to produce one. But like I said, when questioned, we lived near to the border, I look and am American. I dunno if that has anything to do with it. A DL was all I ever needed. Then again, my parents and my bc were only 45 min away if necessary. Good luck!

[aliceinwonderland]

After an exhaustive search of our attick, DH was in fact able to find the original of his birth certificate. Normally, he would have just gone with his copy and DL, BUT, because he is travelling with my sister who is NOT a US citizen, they are sure to face more scrutiny.

Anyway all is well, and they're at Children's Museum in Ottawa right now :)

[bunnisa]

Just wanted to update everyone that, starting in December, Canada will require a passport to enter (or maybe it was the US that will require one to re-enter?).

Bethany
mom to one and one on the way!
http://lilypie.com/days/060226/0/8/1/-6/.png
"And children are always a good thing, devoutly to be wished for and fiercely to be fought for."
-J. Torres

[nd93]

This is from the US Customs website (passport requirements):

December 31, 2006: Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to or from Mexico and Canada.
December 31, 2007: Requirement extended to all air, sea and land border crossings.

So it is not until Dec 2006 that you need a passport to Canada if you a flying or travelling by boat, and not until Dec 2007 for land crossings. That will be a bummer for us border state people. I would not get a passport for my kids just to go into Canada.

[amp]

"not until Dec 2007 for land crossings. That will be a bummer for us border state people. I would not get a passport for my kids just to go
into Canada.

Yeah, I didn't own a passport until I was about 30! And I grew up near the border and have crossed back and forth a lot during my life. I can't imagine we'd have all had passports just to go across the border, especially as children. Wow!

[nd93]

Where did you grow up? I see from your previous post it was the Detroit area. DH is from Dearborn, we lived in Royal Oak for a while (and had DD#1) and inlaws still live in the area.

[amp]

I lived in Detroit until I was 7. I grew up in Milford. My parents are still there, so I do get back for visits every now and then. I went to school in Mt. Pleasant and later in Grand Rapids, and then worked for 5 yrs in Ludington, on the west side of Mich. I moved to Novi for about a year in 1998, before moving out of state. I still miss it there sometimes!

[em_jon98]

Andrea!!! I lived in Ludington as a child, and my parents now own what used to be my mom's BF's gift shop right at the edge of the the beachfront. Where did you work when you lived there?

And we lived in Ann Arbor for the first year we were married. I miss it too sometimes. The enitre state is beatiful and the people are really friendly. We still go back a lot as DH was born in Detroit and raised in the 'burbs, and his mom and brother still live in the metro area (brother actually in Detroit, mom in NE suburbs.)

It is just a really nice place to live. I wouldn't mind moving back to the west coast someday, but I need to live out my need to be near everything first, LOL ;). Perhaps my parents will will me their property and we can retire there someday, or at least make more regular trips (they are using it as rental property now, so it's always booked when I want to go lol ;).)

[em_jon98]

I just cannot imagine needing a passport to go over the bridge to Windsor from Detroit to shop, which is about the only reason I go lol. My MIL goes at least once or twice a month with friends to go to the casino or just to go to her friend's cottage. I can't see her getting a passport either just to go over for that.

Times change...not to start a debate, but I think the tighter security is probably good for all of us. However, I'm still not seeing the border guards in Detroit/Windsor asking everyone for passports. I cannot tell you the amount of times I have crossed without even pulling out my driver's license, let alone a birth certificate. I think I usually make sure I have a copy of my birth certificate in the glove compartment, but I have never been actually asked to present it.

[darby24]

Are passports hard to get or expensive in the US? Just wondering why everyone thinks it's going to be hard to travel?

I got mine a number of years ago just to basically go back and forth - maybe a dozen times a year. It wasn't hard, didn't take too long and makes going through the border so much faster.

With that being said, I always seem to end up behind a car of old ladies with drivers licences going to the casinos. They definitely take longer with just their DL's! Or maybe having blue hair automatically puts you on the watch list! :P

[aliceinwonderland]

Neither. $60 or so, can apply to the post office with pictures and stuff. But most Americans (DH included) are so used to just carrying their driver's licence and nothing else when travelling, so getting a passport if they're not going to go overseas might seem like a nuisiance.

I, like you, do not get it. My parents haul their passports with them at all times when they visit here. I keep telling them no-one is going to stop them and ask for ID, but they don't believe me, despite the fact they they've been here many, many times;)