Persons flying into Canada must provide proof of citizenship. Canada accepts passports, passport cards, birth certificates and NEXUS cards--which expedites the border process for frequent travelers. Permanent residents of the U.S. should also provide a permanent resident card. Children under 16 years-old need only a birth certificate to prove citizenship. If visiting from the U.S., a passport is the only accepted form of identification to fly back to the United States.
Canada also requires proof of identity. If a passport or passport card is provided to border services, the passport photo fulfills the identification requirement. Otherwise, a driver's license or other state-issued photo id is acceptable. Children under age 16 do not need this form of identification, nor do children under 19 when traveling with a school, church or similar group; however, since a passport or passport card is required for air re-entry to the United States, children will have photo identification if needed for another purpose.
When traveling with children that you did not parent, such as grandchildren or nieces and nephews, additional documentation is required to prove the identity of the children's parents and their consent for you to take them out of the country. A notarized letter must include the dates of travel, childrens' names, adults responsible for the children while in Canada, reason for travel, parental approval, parent's contact information and copies of the parents' state-issued photo IDs.
U.S. citizens do not need visas to enter Canada unless the visit will be longer than six months or is for a purpose other than vacation. Canada requires visas for travel from certain countries, and the list is located on the Canadian Citizenship and Immigration web page.
