Kidopia

Can kids cross the border without birth certificates?

My sister is planning a visit with her 3 kids, they have already been traveling for a few days so can not go back for birth certificates. Can she cross the border from Canada to US with the kids care cards?

Public Comments

1. Currently, US citizens may present their birth certificate and driver’s license or state-issued identification to enter Mexico and Canada. However, a passport is preferred, especially if you are flying into either country. Every US Citizen must have their own passport. Children are no longer included in a parent’s passport. So I would think they would need their own birth certificates too. I'm not sure what the laws are for coming to visit in the U.S. but I'm sure they are similar.
2. First answerer missed the point...she seems to think your sister is a U.S. citizen, not a Canadian. Nope. Children must have that birth certificate and if the mother is bringing the children alone, she must have permission from the father. He must provide a signed , notarized letter giving permission for her to take the children out of the country, for each child. See 4th paragraph in first article below. Second article also states this is necessary when crossing Canadian- U.S. border. Now, I have rried to find a Canadian government soiurce for this info and cannot, these articles are written from the viewpoint of going from the U.S. to Canada, not the other way around. However, they do state that the Canadian gov't acknowledges these U.S. requirements and agrees and cooperates with them. If your sister did somehow manage to LEAVE Canada without the birth certificates and letters, she would probably have a terrible time re-entering Canada without them.