Minor Traveling to Canada ??

[Eastwind]

Hey everyone. I have a question. A friend and his sixteen year old son are traveling with me to Canada this weekend. My question, what documentation, other than a birth cert. for everyone is needed. Will my friend need anything special along for his son? I know that there have been lots of posts on this but my daughter is an adult now and has never travelled to Canada with me so I've never had to be concerned with this. Any information would be very appreciated.

[Wild Thing]

Birth certificate is fine. Drivers license is better or drivers permit, or passport, with photo...

As long as his legal father is with him, it's easy. It can, but not always, get trickier if kid is with a friend and friend's parents and not with their own parent....

Both borders have been especially easy in all regards this year despite all the fuss. We're goiong on 12 round trips and have had no problems... we bring our 7-year old most trips... sometimes they don't even ask for the b-certificate... brother in law just brought two kids up to our place last weekend and they didn't even ask for them...

[Eastwind]

Thanks for the info Wildthing.

[DickUrban]

I would suggest you go one step further. My eleven year old grandson has gone to Canada with his father (my son) and I for the last two years. Both father and son have carried copies of a notarized letter of permission from the wife/mother stating that her son (named) will be with her husband(named); where & when they are going and when they will return and telephone numbers where she could be reached. They were ask for the letter at the MSP airport on the way north two years ago (and they also questioned the boy by himself) - not on the way back. Last year (driving accross at Pembina) they were not asked but were asked on the way back. Both Canadian and U.S. customs are very concerned about children who are not accompanied by both parents. You may not be asked, but it is easy to obtain insurance.

[Kingfisher]

When entering Canada from Warroad with my son and grandson July 9, the officer asked for some ID, I showed my drivers Lic., my son showed his passport, my son had a birth cericifate for my grandson, then the officer asked for a letter of permission from my grandson's mother which my son had brought along. Everything went smoothly.

[uffdapete]

A little story about this - a couple years ago I took an 11 year old (son of a friend) along on our annual trip to the border and points north. We had his birth certificate and permission slip from his parents in our possession as well as a school picture. The boy was sound asleep from a long day on the water and on the way back through the US customs agent gave us a little hassle asking if the boy was being held against his wishes! I later learned that one of my passengers, as a high school basketball referee, had once given this particular agent a technical foul in his high school days and I guess he decided it was payback time! The incident didn't amount to anything but looking back it was rather humorous.