Entering Canada from US border

Updated on Nov 28, 2023 | Canada eTA

When visiting the United States, overseas visitors frequently travel to Canada. When crossing into Canada from the US, there are a few things that foreign tourists should bear in mind. Learn what items visitors should carry to the border and some of the rules for entering Canada through the US.

Canada's travel restrictions have made border crossings during the COVID-19 outbreak difficult. However, visitors from abroad, including Americans, can now return to the nation.

How to cross the US-Canada border?

From a border crossing in the United States, several methods exist to enter Canada. It is typical for visitors to most Northern states, such as Minnesota or North Dakota, to drive across the border.

The following information is relevant for persons who are travelling to Canada and the USA and want to enter Canada via road:

Driving into Canada from the United States

Due to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), Americans are no longer obliged to arrive in Canada with a US passport but are still required to show a form of government-issued identification. However, to enter the nation, international visitors must still have a valid passport and travel visa.

The following places in the USA offer land border crossings into the nation:

  • Calais, Maine - St Stephen, New Brunswick
  • Madawaska, Maine - Edmundston, New Brunswick
  • Houlton, Maine - Belleville, New Brunswick
  • Derby Line, Vermont - Stanstead, Quebec
  • Highgate Springs Vermont - St-Armand, Quebec
  • Champlain, New York - Lacolle, Quebec
  • Rooseveltown, New York - Cornwall, Ontario
  • Ogdensburg, New York - Prescott, Ontario
  • Alexandria Bay, New York - Lansdowne, Ontario
  • Lewiston, New York - Queenston, Ontario
  • Niagra Falls, New York - Niagra Falls, Ontario
  • Buffalo New York - Fort Erie, Ontario
  • Port Huron, Michigan - Sarnia, Ontario
  • Detroit, Michigan - Windsor, Ontario
  • Sault Ste.Marie, Michigan - Sault Ste.Marie, Ontario
  • International Falls, Minnesota - Fort Francis, Ontario
  • Pembina, North Dakota - Emerson, Manitoba
  • Portal, North Dakota - Portal, Saskatchewan
  • Sweet Grass Montana - Coutts, Alberta
  • Sumas, Washington - Abbotsford, British Columbia
  • Lynden, Washington - Aldergrove, British Columbia
  • Blaine, Washington - Surrey, British Columbia
  • Point Roberts, Washington - Delta, British Columbia
  • Alcan, Alaska - Beaver Creek, YukonCalais, Maine - St Stephen, New Brunswick
  • Madawaska, Maine - Edmundston, New Brunswick
  • Houlton, Maine - Belleville, New Brunswick
  • Derby Line, Vermont - Stanstead, Quebec
  • Highgate Springs Vermont - St-Armand, Quebec
  • Champlain, New York - Lacolle, Quebec
  • Rooseveltown, New York - Cornwall, Ontario
  • Ogdensburg, New York - Prescott, Ontario
  • Alexandria Bay, New York - Lansdowne, Ontario
  • Lewiston, New York - Queenston, Ontario
  • Niagra Falls, New York - Niagra Falls, Ontario
  • Buffalo New York - Fort Erie, Ontario
  • Port Huron, Michigan - Sarnia, Ontario
  • Detroit, Michigan - Windsor, Ontario
  • Sault Ste.Marie, Michigan - Sault Ste.Marie, Ontario
  • International Falls, Minnesota - Fort Francis, Ontario
  • Pembina, North Dakota - Emerson, Manitoba
  • Portal, North Dakota - Portal, Saskatchewan
  • Sweet Grass Montana - Coutts, Alberta
  • Sumas, Washington - Abbotsford, British Columbia
  • Lynden, Washington - Aldergrove, British Columbia
  • Blaine, Washington - Surrey, British Columbia
  • Point Roberts, Washington - Delta, British Columbia
  • Alcan, Alaska - Beaver Creek, Yukon

Drivers and passengers should be prepared to undertake one or more of the following upon arrival at a US-Canada border crossing:

  • Display your identity documents.
  • Turn off the radio and cell phones, and remove sunglasses before addressing the border crossing agent.
  • All windows should be rolled down so that the border guard may talk with every passenger.
  • When you arrive at the guard station, you could be asked a few questions, such as "How long do you intend to stay in Canada" and "Why are you visiting Canada.
  • Respond to a few inquiries about your travel arrangements in Canada.
  • Display your vehicle's registration and permit inspectors to view the trunk's contents.t
  • You will need to present a letter from the child's parent or legal guardian permitting for them to travel if you are [travelling with children or minors] under 18 who are not your own. This is different from a [Canadian Invitation letter]
  • Pet dogs and cats must be older than three months and need a current, doctor-signed rabies immunisation certificate.
  • Random border crossing checks happen from time to time. You should show your vehicle's registration and consent to having the contents of your trunk inspected by inspectors.

Prohibited items at the US-Canada border

There are several products that, like at every international border crossing, cannot be taken into Canada from the United States.

Visitors should make sure they are not transporting any of the following goods in their vehicle to adhere to Canadian border force regulations while travelling between the US and Canada:

  • Firearms and weapons
  • Illegal drugs and narcotics (including Marijuana)
  • Goods contaminated with soil
  • Firewood
  • Prohibited consumer products
  • Prohibited medicine or pharmaceuticals
  • Explosives, ammunition or fireworks

Visitors visiting Canada are additionally required to declare the following items:

  • Animals, fruits, or plants
  • Tax and duty-free items worth over CAN$800
  • Cash worth over CAN$10,000
  • Firearms or weapons being imported into Canada

Is it possible to walk across the US border into Canada?

Although it is more typical for tourists to enter Canada by automobile, there are no rules that require it for border crossings in Canada. As a result, it is feasible to enter the nation on foot from the US.

Note: You can only do this at a legitimate border crossing. Without permission or prior notification from border control, entering Canada is prohibited and can result in penalties and expulsion.

Do road borders into Canada close at night?

Not all US-Canada border crossings are open around-the-clock. However, several are in each state. There is always at least one available crossing point in each border state.

These all-weather crossing locations are mostly found along busy roadways. Due to poor road conditions throughout the winter, more remote road border posts are more likely to close at night.

Canada-US border wait times

Various factors influence border congestion. Normally, traffic moves at a normal speed with brief delays while entering Canada by automobile from US border crossings.

Roadside checks allowing commercial border crossings are more likely to cause delays. However, these only happen sometimes. Around weekends or national holidays, traffic may also pick up around the border crossing points.

Note: There are several sites where the US and Canada converge, so travellers should check for delays before setting off and, if required, consider taking a different route.

What documents to bring to the US-Canada border?

Visitors must have the proper identity and entry permission paperwork when approaching the Canadian border. Also required are the proper identification documents for any accompanying family members. For those who are foreign visitors:

  • Current passport
  • If necessary, a visa to Canada
  • Registration papers for vehicles

Car travel to Canada from the US is typically stress-free. But like with any border crossing, adhering to the correct procedures may significantly impact how easy the process is.

Anyone travelling internationally and intending to enter Canada from the US by vehicle must have a valid visa to do either business or travel.

For access via a land border crossing with the USA, Canadian eTA-qualified people do not need to get this travel authorisation. If a traveller intends to land at a Canadian airport, they must complete an online eTA application form to get a visa to enter the country.

Note: However, suppose they are citizens of a nation participating in the Visa Waiver Programme (VWP). In that case, travellers planning to travel from Canada to the USA must have a current US ESTA. This new rule will take effect on May 2, 2022.

Documents required to travel between Canada and the US

By travelling to both Canada and the United States, many visitors make the most of their time in North America. It is simple to travel between the two countries because they share a border, as well as further north to the US state of Alaska.

Visitors from outside should be informed that crossing the border between the US and Canada requires a separate visa or a waiver of the visa requirement. The following details the paperwork required for passport holders who are neither US nor Canadian citizens to depart from:

  • USA to Canada
  • Alaska to Canada
  • Canada to USA

Note: While separate permits are required, both Canada and the US offer quick and simple electronic travel authorisations that may be obtained online: Canada's eTA and the US's ESTA.

Travelling to the US from Canada

Before entering the US, Canadian visitors must apply for a visa or travel authorisation. There is no combination visa for the USA and Canada, and it is not feasible to enter the US with a Canadian eTA or visa.

The United States, like Canada, offers a visa waiver programme that enables passport holders from several nations to enter without a visa.

Passport holders who may enter Canada without a visa will also be allowed to enter the United States without a visa because there is a large overlap between the countries eligible for visa-free travel to North American countries.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization, or ESTA, must be registered by citizens of countries where the United States has granted visa waivers. ESTA prescreens foreign nationals entering the US to enhance security and border management.

Note: It is advised to submit an ESTA application at least 72 hours in advance. The application may be submitted from any location with an internet connection because it is entirely online. Tourists who are crossing the border from Canada to the US can finish the procedure a few days beforehand

At which ports of entry can I use ESTA for the US?

For foreigners, flying is frequently the quickest and most practical method of travelling between Canada and the US. Most flights last under two hours, and some of the most popular itineraries are:

  • 1 hour and 25 minutes from Montreal to New York
  • 1 hour and 35 minutes from Toronto to Boston
  • 3 hours and 15 minutes from Calgary to Los Angeles
  • 1 hour and 34 minutes from Ottawa to Washington

Some people may choose to drive across the land border between the US and Canada, although this is often only feasible when travelling to communities near the border on either side.

Note: All travellers coming to the US by land must register with ESTA before their trip. This streamlines the procedure for visitors from abroad arriving at land border crossings by replacing the outdated I-94W form.

Returning to Canada after visiting the US

One frequent query from visitors is if they may use the original eTA to return to Canada after visiting the US.

The Canada eTA is valid for 5 years and allows for multiple entries. Until the travel authorisation or the passport expires (whichever comes first), the same travel authorisation may be used to enter Canada. This is supposing that all Canada eTA standards are still satisfied.

Visitors from outside with an authorised eTA can stay in Canada for up to 6 months, including any time spent waiting in a queue at a Canadian airport.

Note: Foreigners in Canada who want to remain longer than the amount of time allowed under the eTA can do so by contacting the country's immigration officials to request a visa waiver extension. If the eTA cannot be extended, a visa will be necessary to stay in the nation.

Travelling to Canada from the US

Some travellers begin their journey in the United States before continuing north instead of entering Canada first. Visitors should be informed that US travel authorisations, such as an ESTA or a US visa, are not accepted in Canada.

Citizens of nations with visa waivers must instead apply online for the Canadian eTA, which is the country's equivalent of the ESTA. The eTA application process is simple, and it may be done online just a few days before departure for the US.

Tourists can use the urgent eTA service for guaranteed 1-hour processing if they forget to apply for the Canadian visa waiver.

Like the US, Canada's eTA criteria include holding a current biometric passport issued by a country that is recognised.

Note: The applicant's passport is scanned at the Canadian port of entry once the travel authorisation has been granted and is associated with it. Printing and carrying a paper copy of the permit is optional to cross the border.

Can I break my visa waiver by travelling to Canada and re-entering the US as a tourist?

Visitors using ESTA who are flying from the US to Canada do not need to be concerned about violating the visa waiver. The US ESTA is a multiple-entry form, just like the eTA for Canada. Foreign visitors can leave the US to travel to Canada and then return with the same authorisation.

If neither the ESTA nor the passport has expired, foreign nationals who are travelling from the USA to Canada and then back to the USA do not need to reapply. ESTAs are valid for two years after they are issued.

Note: A foreign visitor can stay in the US for a maximum of 180 days at one visit, not counting time spent travelling through the airport. To remain longer than this, you need a visa.

Do I need a visa for Canada if I have a US visa?

Even if you already have a visa for the US, you still need to apply for a visa or an eTA before visiting Canada. If you travel to Canada by air, you only need to apply for an eTA if your nationality is exempt from visa requirements.

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