What ID do I need?

Question

to travel to Mexico from Canada (toronto, Ontario to be specific) I dont have a passport. But I heard you dont need one. I have also read differnt opnions on it. So maybe I can find my answer here. I would call a travel agency, but that will have to wait until tomorrow when they are open. So does any one have any information ( I will post both in the mexico and canada sections)

Thank you.

Answer 1

Here is the SHORT, CORRECT answer.  You do need a passport to travel by AIR to any foreign country.  You do /NOT need a passport to travel by LAND or SEA to and from Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.  That requirement will not go into effect until after SUMMER 2008...see website below and read top half of page carefully for the correct info.  All this applies if you are an AMERICAN citizen.

Answer 2

MEXICO ENTRY - EXIT REQUIREMENTS / MEXICO PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS

Conditions are subject to change.

Call us at 1-866-994-9898 for the most up-to-date passport requirements for Mexico.

For travel to Mexico, Canadians must be in possession of the following:

EITHER:

a) possession of valid official photo identification (such as a driver's license), AND

b) proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate) in order to obtain a tourist card

OR

c) Valid Passport (valid for at least 6 months, beyond your expected date of return to Canada.

AND ALSO:

d) a tourist card (called the Multiple Migratory Form (provided by the airlines or available at points of entry)

**NOTE: Tourists carrying passports are normally processed faster than those carrying other forms of identification.**

Tourists must fill out the Multiple Migratory Form prior to the customs booths (after entering Mexico). An immigration official will

determine the number of days you can remain in Mexico and will stamp the form. Do not assume that you will be granted the full 180

days. The authorities can demand this form at any time.

Travelers must carry the Multiple Migratory Form, at all times and must surrender the original on departure.

REMEMBER to keep the bottom half of this form in your possession for your return trip!

Your tourist card is stamped on arrival. If traveling by bus, make sure that you obtain such a card and have it stamped by immigration

authorities at the border. If you do not receive a stamped tourist card at the border ensure that, when you arrive at your destination

within Mexico, you immediately go to the closest National Institute of Immigration, present your bus ticket, and request a tourist card.

Canadians entering Mexico by car should make sure their tourist card is stamped by an immigration officer at the port of entry,

particularly if they are driving to the Baja California peninsula. If the tourist card has not been stamped at the port of entry, it can be

stamped at the immigration offices in the following cities on the Baja California peninsula: Tijuana, Ensenada, or Guerrero *****.

Travelers who fail to have their tourist card stamped may be fined or expelled from the country.

The Mexican government is vigorously enforcing immigration and entry laws. The Mexican authorities have specified that persons

seeking to enter Mexico for purposes other than tourism are required to have a proper visa. Those entering for recreational sports, or

cultural events and activities; business or commercial activities; academic, scientific, or technical research; and those entering as

human rights investigators, electoral observers, or members of a non-profit organization (e.g. religious persons/ministers,

missionaries, volunteers, remunerated or unremunerated interns) should ensure they have the proper visa. Foreigners involved in

unauthorized activities will be expelled.

Business travelers engaging in business activities such as meetings, marketing, attendance at trade shows, and market research,

who do not intend to enter the local job market and/or whose stay is less than 30 days, do not require a business visa. However, A

Multiple Migratory Form must be completed (provided by the airlines or at points of entry) and certain documentation, such as a letter

from the employer stating the purpose of the trip, must be presented. Business travelers should confirm these requirements with the

Mexican Embassy prior to every business trip.

Business travelers engaging in business activities other than meetings, marketing, attendance at trade shows, and market research,

intending to enter the local job market and/or whose stay is more than 30 days, do require a business visa.

Anyone traveling abroad with a minor should carry a notarized letter of consent signed by both parents, complete information on

the child and trip, and telephone numbers where the parents can be reached in case of doubt. In cases where photo ID is not

available, it is recommended to obtain an affidavit of identity with the picture of the child, mentioning the child's name, place and date

of birth, and signed before a lawyer or notary public. If the minor has been the subject of a custody agreement, the accompanying

adult should carry the appropriate original documentation. If the minor is traveling with only one parent and the other parent is

deceased, it is necessary to carry the death certificate. If original documents are not available, you must obtain and carry a certified

statement. Even when both parents are traveling with the child, it is wise to bring the child's long-form birth certificate (which

identifies the parents). Unaccompanied minors should carry a valid passport (or original birth certificate) and a certified letter of

consent for travel, with details of the trip. Ensure that someone will meet them at the airport on arrival.

Mexican authorities impose a "tourism tax" for all visitors to Mexico. The amount changes every year but is usually

around US$20. This fee is usually included in airline ticket prices. Visitors arriving by road (car or bus) will be asked to pay this fee

at any bank in Mexico (there is a bank representative at every port of entry). The bank will stamp your tourist card, which you will

have to return to immigration authorities on departure. Visitors to the northern border area and those going to Mexico on cruise ships

are exempt.

All Canadian citizens bringing gifts to friends and relatives in Mexico should be able to demonstrate to Mexican customs the

origin and value of the gifts. Televisions, video cassette players, computers, bicycles or any electronic item valued at US$50 or

more must be declared to Mexican customs. The visitor should have the receipt for the gift's purchase and should be prepared to

pay any assessed duty.

Tourist Card: Required (Multiple Migratory Form provided by airlines or at points of entry)

Business Visa: Required

Student Visa: Required

Visitor Visa: Required (for purposes other than tourism)

For further information, contact the

Embassy of the United Mexican States,

45 O'Connor Street,

Suite 1000, Ottawa,

ON, K1P 1A4

Tel.: [phone]

Fax : [phone]

Web site: www.embamexcan.com

Consulate in Calgary: 406-444-5399/6966

Montreal: 514-288-2502

Toronto: 416-368-2875

Vancouver: 604-684-1859

This is my help from Washington, DC, United States of America.

Answer 3

Yes you have to have a passport for all land and/or sea travel to or from Canada

They are wrong, just google it you will see.