As of March 1/10 a passport will now officially be required for travel to Mexico

[T@T]

I think mine was $86.00 or $87.00 bucks, I don't think theres a difference between renewal or first time.

[ken0042]

And to be fair, I was factoring in about $15 for the passport photos to come to the $100 amount.

[Jimmy Stang]

I almost choked when I had to fork over $215 to renew my UK passport. It lasts 10 years however, so it works out to about the same. They've got that fancy chip in there now that they can scan to verify your info.

I use my Canadian one all of the time now, but I travel with both in my possession. In the event of an emergency I have a couple of consulates/embassies to choose from.

[BuzzardsWife]

last year we had to have passports to go to mexico because we switched planes in dallas..but we did get asked for our passports in mexico too..speaking of mexico..5 sleeps and me and buzzard are there! woohoo! i would never go out of my country without a passport anyway

[BuzzardsWife]

by the way..we got my daughters passport in under 2 weeks last month

[BuzzardsWife]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Why would you renew it if you don't have a trip planned?

A passport costs around $100 and is good for 5 years; so $20 per year. If I don't travel for 3 years then why shell out $100 and really waste $60 of it if I won't need it.

Add to that the fact that it is a bit of a hassle- I know I had previously let mine lapse. I may not now; now that you need one for the States. But that is only very recent.

i think its good to have one, what if u want to take a drive across the border for the day?

[dj_patm]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

I almost choked when I had to fork over $215 to renew my UK passport. It lasts 10 years however, so it works out to about the same. They've got that fancy chip in there now that they can scan to verify your info.

I use my Canadian one all of the time now, but I travel with both in my possession. In the event of an emergency I have a couple of consulates/embassies to choose from.

Yeah I always fly with both my Polish and my Canadian passports. Just in case. Although I only show my Canadian one in North America and only my Polish one in Europe.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by BuzzardsWife

i think its good to have one, what if u want to take a drive across the border for the day?

My wife and I were down in Waterton a year and a bit ago (just before they brought in the passport requirement). On a whim we decided to drive into Montana just to say that we'd been. Kept driving. Ended up driving through Glacier National Park on the Going to the Sun highway (highly recommended), had dinner in Kalispell. Forest fires were blocking the "fast" way home, we we meandered back through the park again, barely made it to the border before the station closed, and had to wake the B&B owner who had long since given up on us (although, to my credit, I did try to call earlier).

Fantastic day, and completely spontaneous. Next time there's even a remote chance that I could jump across the border, even for a few hours, I'll make sure to have my passport with me.

[Knalus]

It's sad what the world has come to.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by BuzzardsWife

i think its good to have one, what if u want to take a drive across the border for the day?

That is a little more rare here in Alberta. Our two major cities are 5-8 hours from the nearest major town, and 8-11 hours from another major US city. For many people those types of trips are planned well enough in advance.

If I still lived in Winnipeg I would probably keep the passport current as it's under an hour to the border, and just over 2 hours to get to a decent sized city. I'm sure more people in places like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal do similar day trips.

[algernon]

Who doesn't have a passport? Meh.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Canadian Passports are only good for 5 years? OUCH! Same cost here and they're good for 15 years.

I will be getting my first passport this year at age 38. I've never needed one until now as all of my travles have been within North America.

Hopefully, someday, I'll be able to use it to go overseas.

Not everyone has had the advantages that you may have had growing up dj.

I believe that, starting sometime in 2011, Canadian passports issued at that time, will be valid for 10 years.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by T@T

I think mine was $86.00 or $87.00 bucks, I don't think theres a difference between renewal or first time.

You are correct.... $87 whether its a renewal or a first time application.

[mr.jim.lahey]

Believe it or not, Canadians or Americans can still enter Canada by air without a passport as long as they have proof of citizenship. I have no idea why Canada is so far behind the times in this regard. As far as Mexico possibly sending home Canadians with a criminal record, I’ll believe it when I see it. Jamaica and Dominican Republic still do not require a passport. Also, if you are a resident of Saint Pierre and Miquelon and are arriving directly to Canada from Saint Pierre and Miquelon you do not need a passport. Same for residents of Greenland.