need some Canada Info

I do recommend exchanging your money as Travis said. Some of the bigger stores like Wal-Mart probably wouldn't have a problem but it's the little stores (like mine) that don't deal with the US dollar everyday and you might get ripped off unintentionally.

As far as crossing the border, I'm not sure how strict they are now since 9/11 seeing as I have not crossed in a couple of years. I would recommend bringing proper identification.

what do I need to know to get out of Canada. My mom said I am going to need a passport to get back into the states. Is that true? Also what do I need to get IN Canada also? I know a passport will work. A photo id like you said. Will I need my birth certificate?

also if you feel this should be moved to the lounge do it as most questions are USA to Canada and then coming back. They might know the answers since they have done it already.

Is that true? I have gone into the United States and back many many times, and the only think I have ever used to say that its me is my school card (that has photo i.d.) and my birth certificate. Whenever I come back into Canada, we dont even have to show our Identification, they just look at your licence plate, and ask a few questions.

Shouldn't you be out marring your sister?

yea I was told to get into Canada a birth certificate & ID would work but to get back to the USA I need a passport. Just a birth certificate & ID wont work. Now is that true? That is my main question now.


*Note I'm just going there for Niagra Falls which is half US/Canada*

You would probably have to contact american customs to make sure. Last year I went I only needed what I went to Canada with. Im not sure of the website but I think there is one for american customs.

What documents, identification, paperwork does a U.S. citizen need to travel internationally?
Answer
If traveling in the Western Hemisphere, (Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Central and South America) a U.S. citizen should have either a valid U.S. Passport OR a certified copy of their birth certificate or baptismal record with current photo identification issued by a government agency (state I.D. card, driver's license, Military I.D.). (Minors under the age of 14 are not required to show a photo ID, State Departments of Motor Vehicles will usually provide a non-driver's license for people 14 and older. Public School photos are also acceptable.)

There is a proposal to require Passports for air and sea passengers traveling to the Caribbean, Central and South America that will take effect on December 31, 2005. Under this same proposal, Passports will be required for air and sea passengers traveling to Canada or Mexico starting December 31, 2006, and for land travel to Canada or Mexico starting December 31, 2007. When the proposal is formally adopted, the CBP website will make that announcement.

If traveling from outside the Western Hemisphere, all U.S. citizens MUST present a passport, including children. Due to heightened security it is strongly recommended that U.S. citizens also present their passports - if they have one - even when returning from travel only to Canada or Mexico. (Some airlines require a passport even for travel to another country in the Western Hemisphere and will not let you board without it. Call to make sure you know their requirements.)

If a U.S. citizen does not have a passport or a certified copy of a birth certificate, the following may be accepted as proof of citizenship: - A U.S. state or federal government-issued birth record (note: hospital-issued birth certificates are not acceptable) or baptismal record. If a U.S. citizen child was recently born, and no copy of the birth certificate is available, bring whatever paperwork the hospital has given you as a record of the birth. If you do not have a certified copy of your birth certificate, one can be requested from the Vital Records office in the State where you were born.

Laminated Birth Certificates are not useful for purposes of establishing citizenship because it is impossible to determine if the seal is raised (an attribute of a certified copy).- Certificate of Citizenship, or Certificate of Naturalization [note: notarized photocopies or notarized fax copies of such certificates are acceptable, but affidavits of citizenship and voter registrations are not).

Neither of the above will be acceptable unless accompanied by a government issued ID.

At this time, there is no legal requirement for U.S. citizens to present ID for re-entry into the U.S. However, If you travel internationally in the Western Hemisphere without any of the above documents, be prepared for very long delays while CBP Officers attempt to verify your citizenship. Such research is very time consuming and places a heavy burden on CBP Officers whose time could be better spent identifying travelers who are trying to enter the U.S. unlawfully.

For information about what documents are required for a U.S. resident to enter a foreign country, we advise you to contact the embassy or consulate general of the country you intend to travel to in order to find out what documents they require you to have for entry. It is important to understand that some Western Hemisphere countries require you to have a passport for entry into their country, even though the U.S. does not require you to have one to re-enter the U.S.

This is from the us customs web-site.