Can I Take An Emergency Trip to Canada With Expired Passport?

Question & AnswerQuestion:  My passport has recently expired and I will be going on an emergency trip to Canada. Will I be able to travel to Canada without an effective passport?

Answer:  Though it is not completely necessary, you are encourage to carry and use an up-to-date and effective passport while you travel to and from the U.S. and Canada. Children will have to provide their own passports. However, there are a number of Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative or WHTI documents that fall under compliance that you will be able to use.

Minors under the age of 16 can provide a certified birth certificate. So, this document is use to cross the border between the U.S. and Canada by land or sea.

You can use a NEXUS card or a Merchant Mariner Document if you are traveling via air. Merchant Mariner Documents can be used by U.S. citizens that are traveling on official business. NEXUS cards can provide expedited processing when traveling to or from the United States and Canada.

If you are traveling by sea or land, just provide an Enhanced Driver’s License, a NEXUS, FAST, or SENTRI card. Also, a valid passport card.

If necessary criteria is met, you will be able to renew your passport by mail.  For expedited services  you will need to pay an additional fee on top of regular processing fees and your passport will take 2-3 weeks t process. For regular processing time, you should receive your new passport in 4-6 weeks.

If your passport will expire in Canada, you should visit a United States Embassy or Consulate in Canada.

For even quicker service, you can apply at a regional passport agency  or you can get a private expediting service to submit your application for you. You should receive your passport in less than two weeks with these processes.