I know this is topic is not specifically about Europe,but I thought it still might be of interest here.
AP reports,"Americans will need passports to re-enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, Panama and Bermuda by 2008, part of a tightening of U.S. border controls in an era of terrorist threat, three administration officials said Tuesday."

i live near the Canadian border, and wouldn't dream of trying to cross the border without my passport! Even prior to 9/11 I did this just because it makes things smoother and easier for all involved, and gets me where I'm going faster.

BC

Outside the Schengen zone in Europe, I thought you already needed passports to travel abroad.

Sheila, US and Canadian citizens can travel freely throughout North America and most Caribbean islands without passports. All we need is some type of proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate with photo ID. Although such proof is required, I have almost never been asked for it when crossing the Mexican or Canadian borders by car or on foot. Since I already have a passport, I take it with me when traveling to these places anyway. However, most Americans will not go out and get a passport for trips within N. America since it isn't required.

Sheila, we are able to go some way into Mexico and Canada - I don't know about Panama and Bermuda - using either a birth certificate or driver's license as ID. Personally, I think it's overdue to have to use a passport.

We used to drive up to Canada near Vancouver and just take our drivers license as ID. Last time I tried this without a passport or birth certificate (since 9/11) the US Border guards (who have no sense of humor) made me wish I had brought the passport.

Lovejoy, could you please provide us a link to that article? I'm anxious to read it, but I can't find it anywhere.

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4433

I agree that this is a good idea -- in all the countless times I've traveled to Baja California (I live in San Diego), I have never needed to take my passport, and I can't think of a time I've even had to show ID of any kind. Every time, the border agent asks my nationality, I tell him "U.S." and he waves me on through.

2008! That's time enough for all countries to go biometric (photo, fingerprint, iris-scan, whatever).

The better and more important article that was in the papers yesterday (sorry I don't have the link) is that all new/renewal US passports will contain a chip that can be detected from quite a distance. Identify thefts are likely to be the problem and many goverment agencies and others are fighting this new "technology" change.

Generally I've only shown my drivers license going into Canada, but one trip we did have our passports and showed those. The guy studied them forever, and got really focused on the Turkish visa fastened inside. That seemed to trigger that we must be terrorists or drug smugglers. That was the trip they made us pull our car over and practically tore it apart, even going through all the papers in the glove box and running their hands through all our luggage. This was at the Niagra Falls crossing. I think this year heading up to Vancouver, I'll go back to using just my driver's license, thank you.

Niagra Falls -- not to be confused with the other crossing at Niagara Falls! LOL. Guess I've been getting too many Viagra emails.

Imagine how busy the passport office will be around the time this is implemented. If anyone out there has a passport expiring in late 2007 or early 2008, you should renew it well in advance of your trip.

Here in the Detroit area, crossing the border to Windsor, Ontario, is like going back and forth to and from a suburb. It will be interesting to see how this affects transborder leisure traffic, considering most people don't have passports. I also always take it when I cross the border, just because it's so much easier.

Last summer we went to Windsor for the afternoon; upon return, the Border Patrol agent tore me a new one for assuming my driver's license would get me back in, and for not having my passport. The license worked fine for the last 40 years, but not last year. Maybe it depends on the agent you get.

I love this weird little expression...

<<the Border Patrol agent tore me a new one>>

maybe s/he didn't like the looks of your old one!



Best wishes,

Rex

>...all new/renewal US passports will contain a chip that can be detected from quite a distance.<

The RFID chips are readable from about 4 inches if the passport is open.

They will also be incorporated into bar codes and other labels over the next few years.

Boy oh boy...in a world where countries are making great strides in reducing red tape for border crossing (look in Europe where there are no longer border checks for the most part except into and out of the UK and now many central European and Eatern European countries are being brought into the fold, the enlightened US is increasing red tape. It's almost as if we are saying Canadian immigration authorities are incompetent or at least less competent than are ours...and do you really think this measure will stop the sophisticated criminals of today at the expense of more red tape. I just don't get it.

xyz123: What would you propose? Under your rationale, shouldn't the US get rid of all border crossing checkpoints? I mean that would show Canada and Mexico that we have the supreme confidence in their abilities.