# When am I going to start needing a valid passport to fly into the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068 "2006-06-01T21:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/1 "2006-06-01T21:00:56Z")
Or do I need one now? I have a passport but it expired last year. I suppose I could get it renewed right now, but I have no international travel other than to the US planned for the next while, so if I can put it off I will. I’d have to get new pictures, go downtown, wait in line for hours, pay the big fat fee, and the bloody thing is only good for 5 years. I’d like to delay it as long as possible, to get the most bang for my buck, so to speak, but if I need it to fly into the US, I best be getting it sooner rather than later as I have a trip coming up in a while. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/2 "2006-06-01T21:02:49Z")
Duh. I’m a Canadian in Canada, BTW. (In case anyone didn’t know that). ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/3 "2006-06-01T21:03:51Z")
[http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/travel\_us-en.asp#2](http://www.voyage.gc.ca/main/before/travel_us-en.asp#2) ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/4 "2006-06-01T21:06:13Z")
Flying from the US to Canada (and back) can be a little strange. Sometimes the airline folks can be more picky about ID than the officals. You might want to drop a dime on your airline and ask what their requirements are in addition to what the government’s requirements are. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/5 "2006-06-01T21:11:27Z")
Humm. Perhaps I will give them a call at WestJet. That would suck to get to the airport and then not be allowed to board! ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/6 "2006-06-02T00:51:17Z")
Only good for 5 years? Eek- my US passport is good for 12 years, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/7 "2006-06-02T04:42:12Z")
> [@EJsGirl](#): > > Only good for 5 years? Eek- my US passport is good for 12 years, IIRC. That’s one of the many reasons why the upcoming passport requirement to enter the US is not popular up here in Canada. In addition to the procedure **Alice** cited, we also have to have our passport applications “guaranteed” by somebody who has (a) known you for at least three years, _and_ (b) is a member of an approved profession (for example, a lawyer, a doctor, a rabbi, a priest, or another profession on the approved list). In addition, Canadian passports are not renewable. Whether you already have one that’s about to expire, or an expired one, or none at all, the process is the same–you start from scratch; using the procedure stated above. Now imagine having to endure that if you want to do so much as take a look at Niagara Falls from the American side, or take a day trip from Vancouver to Seattle. I rather envy my American wife. A simple downloadable form, a money order for the required fee, her old passport, and the cost of postage to a US government office in the US; and voila! She has another US passport good for the next ten years. I, on the other hand, cannot get such service and convenience in my own country. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/8 "2006-06-02T05:05:28Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > I rather envy my American wife. A simple downloadable form, a money order for the required fee, her old passport, and the cost of postage to a US government office in the US; and voila! She has another US passport good for the next ten years. I, on the other hand, cannot get such service and convenience in my own country. 😕 I didn’t even think we (US Citizens) needed a passport to get in and out of Canada. Has this changed? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/9 "2006-06-02T05:15:09Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > I didn’t even think we (US Citizens) needed a passport to get in and out of Canada. Has this changed? Not at the moment. You can still get by on a driver’s licence. However, I believe the Minister for Public Safety (or whatever they’re calling her now), in a tit-for-tat move, announced that Canadian documentation requirements will be the same as US requirements. I could be wrong about this. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/10 "2006-06-02T05:21:52Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > I didn’t even think we (US Citizens) needed a passport to get in and out of Canada. Has this changed? > [@](#): > > On effective dates below, all travelers to or from the Americas, the Caribbean and Bermuda will be required to have a passport or other document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States. > > On December 31, 2006, the requirement will be applied to all air and sea travel to and from Bermuda, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Mexico, and Canada. > > On December 31, 2007, the requirement extended to all air, sea, and land border crossings. For more information or to confirm effective dates, visit the State Department’s consular web site [www.travel.state.gov](http://www.travel.state.gov) or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s web site at [www.dhs.gov](http://www.dhs.gov). Source: [http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures\_1229.html](http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/brochures/brochures_1229.html) ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/11 "2006-06-02T05:41:01Z")
> [@Duckster's State Dept Link](#): > > On effective dates below, all travelers to or from the Americas, the Caribbean and Bermuda will be required to have a passport \*\*or other document that establishes the bearer’s identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States. \*\* > > CANADA – Passport **or proof of U.S. citizenship** such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and **photo ID required**. Emphasis mine. Doesn’t seem to have changed - just need a driver’s license. (although I wonder why it says “and” instead of “or” on that last line) I only needed a driver’s license to get out of Mexico too. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/12 "2006-06-02T11:50:23Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Emphasis mine. Doesn’t seem to have changed - just need a driver’s license. (although I wonder why it says “and” instead of “or” on that last line) I only needed a driver’s license to get out of Mexico too. That’s true for Canada and Mexico now, but starting next year you’re going to need a passport. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/13 "2006-06-02T14:51:17Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Emphasis mine. Doesn’t seem to have changed - just need a driver’s license. (although I wonder why it says “and” instead of “or” on that last line) I only needed a driver’s license to get out of Mexico too. A driver’s license is not proof of citizenship. Proof of citizenship would be a passport or birth certificate. In the event that you’re using a birth certificate, photo id (like a driver’s license) is required in addition, to establish that you are the person who belongs to the birth certificate. A driver’s license is not and has never been sufficient documentation to cross the US/Canada border, in spite of the fact that on any particular crossing one might not be asked for more. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/14 "2006-06-02T14:54:19Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > A driver’s license is not proof of citizenship. Proof of citizenship would be a passport or birth certificate. In the event that you’re using a birth certificate, photo id (like a driver’s license) is required in addition, to establish that you are the person who belongs to the birth certificate. Ah, OK. Thanks for clearing that up. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/15 "2006-06-02T15:26:00Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Not at the moment. You can still get by on a driver’s licence. However, I believe the Minister for Public Safety (or whatever they’re calling her now), in a tit-for-tat move, announced that Canadian documentation requirements will be the same as US requirements. I could be wrong about this. I thought it was basically to ensure that Americans coming up here to visit have the appropriate documents to _return_. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/16 "2006-06-02T17:18:39Z")
Well, I spoke to the airline, and as far as they’re concerned, as long as I have a drivers licence and a birth certificate, I’m good to go - no passport required. Which is nice because I really wasn’t looking forward to taking a day of work to get a new one. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/17 "2006-06-02T18:14:38Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Not at the moment. You can still get by on a driver’s licence. However, I believe the Minister for Public Safety (or whatever they’re calling her now), in a tit-for-tat move, announced that Canadian documentation requirements will be the same as US requirements. I could be wrong about this. When we (Americans) went to Vancouver last year we were advised by the cruise line to have passports, or failing that, a driver’s license and birth certificate. In practice the driver’s license was adequate, as my wife didn’t have her passport yet and was never once asked to show her birth certificate. I’d recommend the OP get her passport before the trip. I found the customs inspectors who boarded the train coming back to be surly and accusatory in their manner with me, and I live in this country. No sense in not making things go as smoothly as possible, so get the passport. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/18 "2006-06-02T18:16:28Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > That’s true for Canada and Mexico now, but starting next year you’re going to need a passport. For Americans, is it Canada and Mexico saying we need passports to enter their countries, or is our own government insisting that we have passports before being allowed to leave? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/19 "2006-06-02T18:24:58Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > For Americans, is it Canada and Mexico saying we need passports to enter their countries, or is our own government insisting that we have passports before being allowed to leave? It’s your own government, saying that anyone entering the United States will have to have a passport, regardless of nationality. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068/20 "2006-06-02T18:27:56Z")
> [@Spectre of Pithecanthropus](#): > > For Americans, is it Canada and Mexico saying we need passports to enter their countries, or is our own government insisting that we have passports before being allowed to leave? Or re-enter the U.S.? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-am-i-going-to-start-needing-a-valid-passport-to-fly-into-the-us/359068.md?page=2)