Canada? Passport? Expire? Help?
My sister and my dad and i are planning on going to Canada soon.. May 12th 2011 Were planning on driving up there but there is one problem... Our passports expire on May 10th.... its may 8th today so i don't think i can get a new passport that fast... However we do have our driving licenses and birth certificates..
Comments
You can enter Canada without a passport but you can't go back to the U.S without one...so i suggest you delay your trip:)
Even if your passports expired on May 30th, you probably still wouldn't be allowed to enter Canada (assuming you are an American citizen).
It is common for countries to deny access to people whose passports are scheduled to expire in less than 6 months because there is fear that those persons will not leave the country in time before their passport expires and there is an overall concern that they may become (at least temporarily) stranded... especially if the country they originated from also has the same 6-month policy.
Also, new travel requirements (as of 2009) now require a valid passport or equivalent document (e.g. EDL) for entry into both Canada and the US. Birth certificates (and other similar IDs) are no longer acceptable pieces of travel documentation, except for children who are under 16 years of age at the time of entry.
You should check the information here: http://travel.state.gov/passport/npic/schedule/sch...
Note that you may use just a proof of citizenship (i.e. birth certificate) if you are under 15 years of age. You can also use an enhanced driver's license, NEXUS card, or passport card.