Do I need a passport to drive into Canada?
I know this has probably been covered before but I couldn't find it using the search feature. We have gotten conflicting information about this from different sources. We plan on traveling from Missou...
Forum Discussion
JaxDad wrote:ljr wrote:am1958 wrote:
Never travel internationally without a passport...
X2. In a former job that involved a lot of travel to and from Canada and the Caribbean the company lawyers gave that advice. If you enter another country on a drivers license it’s a courtesy of that country. If you use a passport, all sorts of treaties and international laws apply. If you have any unexpected problems while there, that’s a big deal.
That’s just a little silly.
You don’t stop being an American just because you don’t have a passport in your pocket. The treaties and international agreements and rules of law are based on your citizenship, not the documents themselves.
The other issue though is a more modern one. If you cross a border with a passport these days and you lose it, or it’s stolen, good luck getting back across the border without it. A replacement passport requires a personal trip to an embassy or consulate. There’s a consulate or embassy in most countries, but it might not be very close to where you are. In central Canada for instance there’s 3 US consulates, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto. It’s about 1,300 km (800 miles) and 13 hours drive from Calgary to Winnipeg. It’s about 2,100 km (1,300 miles) and 23 hours drive from Winnipeg to Toronto.
I’m just quoting what a bunch of highly paid suits told a room full of charter pilots 30+ years ago. If you think it’s silly that’s your business. I took their word for it.
