Crossing from US to Canada
 

I will be going to Quebec in April.
I will have my drivers license as my form of photo ID and birth certificate.
Do I need my marriage license as the last names do not match on my two forms of ID?
Thanks

To make your life easier, may I suggest you get a passport. It will be required in the near future, so you might as well get one now.

Melissa,

I have your same exact question and I also was thinking of bringing my marriage license to show the last names!

Everything I keep reading says a driver's license and birth certificate are fine until 2008 IF you are arriving by LAND or SEA. If you're arriving by AIR then you have no choice..you would need a passport.

We'll be arriving in BC by ferry in June and I really do not want to go the passport route just yet because there's SIX of us and it would be quite expensive. Yes, we would need them in the future but I'd rather save for them than take it away from our travel budget!

tprsrs6 - Instead of getting passports for all 6 of you, just get the passport for the one who's ID and birth certificate don't match. That will be less expensive, but you won't have to worry about any delays at the border.

Melissa: To add to tprsrs6 - effective yesterday (1/23) if you're flying, you have no choice. You will have to have passport. If you're going by land or sea, you have until 1/1/08 after which you will have to have a passport. So... if you're driving, hitchhiking, training, busing, swimming, or boating to Quebec in April, your drivers license and birth certificate will be OK. But would highly recommend copy of marriage license considering your circumstances. Suggestion of getting passport now is a good idea - beat the crowds.

Melissa - just to clarify. The "problem" with the passport issue isn't going to Quebec. It's being able to come back into the US.

Thanks

Also, What ID does a child need, in terms of photo ID?

Melissa

In the near future, everyone will need a passport. I years past a parent could have a group picture made, but then the child could not travel independently. With passports being good for 10 years, a 12 year old might well be wanting to travel on hs or her own before they are 22.

Melissa, you must have passports since you just traveled to England (unless they have expired). Use your passport for your children - it will be the only photo ID they need.

My son has a pasport but the friend he is traveling with does not.
What does she need beside her birth certificate?
Melissa

<i>2. What are the requirements for children entering Canada?

If you are travelling 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 travelling 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 travelling with you.
</i>

http://tinyurl.com/2beryp

A if they are US citizens a birth certificate is sufficient. Are you flying or driving?

Official websites state that ALL U.S. citizens, regardless of age must have passports, if flying by 1/23, and by other means by 1/1/08. That means children. Given that rental cars can be a hassle at the border, I certainly would not try take someone else's child across the border without their parent without knowing EXACTLY what documentation was needed from the appropriate government agency.

They are going on a school trip and those papers are taken care of.
They are driving.
I just need to know about ID
Melissa

The kids will need their birth certificates only. (Not mentioning the letter signed by their parents.)

The adults will need a drivers license and a birth certificate.

You shouldn't need a marriage license because your last names don't match on the driver license and birth certificate (otherwise they would indicate that married women should always take it), but if you are overly worried, take a copy of it as a precautionary measure.

Birth certificates for the children will be sufficient.

Thanks

&lt;With passports being good for 10 years, a 12 year old might well be wanting to travel on hs or her own before they are 22.&gt;

I'm pretty sure that a child's passport is only good for five years. I would not want to use 20 percent of its value before it is actually needed. Besides the expense, it was a lot of work to get.

I could not find the expiration dates rule on the State Dept. site, but here is another site that confirms it:

http://homeexchanger.blogspot.com/search/label/passport