Thursday, December 31, 2009

Passport Questions About Visiting Canada Are Answered Here In This Article

By Ben Pate

Most Americans who wish to travel to Canada often ask the question of whether or not they need a passport to visit Canada. Yes, you do need a U S passport to travel there. Let us tell you more about it by reading this article in full.

First, an introduction. Canada is a part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative or WHTI. The WHTI is a group of countries where Americans can use certain approved documents to enter. Areas covered by the WHTI include the Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda, and of course, Canada. The documents you can use to travel to WHTI include your passport book, passport card, or a NEXUS card.

Using a US passport card is recommended for Americans who plan to travel to Canada by land. When you reach the US-Canada border, simply present your US passport card to be allowed to pass. Applying for this type of card is easy, as this goes through the same process as applying for a US passport book. It is also convenient to use as the card is wallet sized, which is small compared to the passport book which is bulky. It is also significantly cheaper than a passport book, so if you're planning only of traveling to WHTI countries over land or sea, then the passport card would suffice.

Meanwhile, you will need a USA Passport book if you're going to travel to WHTI and non-WHTI areas by air. If you're not familiar with the passport book, it's the booklet that's regularly used by Americans to travel even before the passport card was issued in 2008. So when traveling by air, make sure to use your passport book.

However, if you want to combine the benefits of both the passport card and the passport book, then you can always apply for both types of passports. So for example, you just want to visit WHTI areas, you'll just need to bring the passport card in your wallet. However, if you're traveling to international destinations that are not part of the WHTI, you will then need to have your passport book ready. Applying for these passports at the same time is recommended, as there is a corresponding discount when you do.

For travels that will take you to WHTI areas and beyond, you can then bring your passport book. But aside from just flexibility, the great thing about applying for both cards is that you get a discount when you apply for both the card and the book at the same time. All in all, the choice is yours, depending on the type of travel you're going to make.

Do you travel to Canada regularly? Then you might want to apply for a NEXUS card as well. This card is designed for those who travel to Canada often and want a hassle-free travel across the border. Having a NEXUS card allows you to use the lane made exclusively for NEXUS cardholders, ensuring there are no delays when you need to go to Canada by land as soon as possible.

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