Can I cross the USA-Canada border with a birth certificate and a passport locator number?
My US passport took too long to be shipped to me, and it will arrive after I need to leave. Will I be able to cross the border from the United States to Canada with a birth certificate (copy) and a passport locator number?
Best Answer
While Jonas' answer is indeed the legal situation but note: there is no penalty for breaking this particular law and more importantly, no US citizen can be denied entry to the USA if said person can prove citizenship. This is more generic than the USA, this is one of the fundamental meanings of citizenship. A birth certificate is a good start, the more IDs you have, the better. Expect a long, painful process border crossing if you do it without a passport.
It's a whole another topic whether an airline would let you board on the grounds of "Oh, I will convince the border guards, no worries". You might need to fly to Toronto or Vancouver and get across on land. If you don't drive, then the easiest is probably the Windsor Tunnel Bus to Detroit. From Toronto, there's a VIA Rail three times a day to Windsor. There are no similar services in Vancouver, you'd need to walk a lot. Note this bolded note on the Tunnel Bus page:
Proof of citizenship is required when crossing the international Windsor-Detroit border.
Every other border crossing carrier I am aware of, BoltBus, Greyhound, Amtrak, Quickshuttle all wants a passport. Let's see Crossing from to Canada to the USA w/o passport on public transit? what else is possible.
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Can you cross the US Canada border with a birth certificate?
Answer: Canadian law requires that all persons entering Canada carry both proof of citizenship and proof of identity. A valid U.S. passport, passport card, or NEXUS card satisfies these requirements for U.S. citizens. If traveling by land or sea, your original U.S. birth certificate and ID should suffice.Can I use a copy of my birth certificate to enter Canada?
U.S. citizen children, ages 15 and under, arriving by land or sea from Canada may present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate (issued in the state where he or she was born), a consular report of birth abroad, or a naturalization certificate, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.What identification is needed to cross the US Canada border?
Citizens of the United States need a valid U.S. passport to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport. Citizens of the United States coming to Canada by car, bus, train or boat need to carry proper identification and meet the basic requirements to enter Canada.What identification can I use to cross the border?
Documents You Will Need All U.S. citizens need U.S. passport books if re-entering by air. Land and sea border crossings accept additional travel documents, such as U.S. Passport cards and Trusted Traveler cards. Child travelers have additional options - see the Traveling with Children section.Did They Let Us In? Crossing Canadian Border During Covid with NO Passport!!
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