Passport requirements:
All foreigners visiting except Canadians have to have a valid passport to enter the United States and to re-enter their own country.
Returning home with an expired passport is illegal and may result in a fine. Canadian's need to show proof of Canadian citizenship,
such as a government issued photo ID. The USA does not allow entry if the passport expires in six months.
Photocopies of passport:
You must be sure to copy the page of your passport with your photo and information, as well as any other important documents such as visas,
travel insurance policies, plane tickets, and travelers check serial numbers. Put the originals in a separate place away from the copies and
leave one copy at home. Consulates recommend you carry an expired passport, proof of birth and nationality.
Lost Passports:
If your passport gets lost you must immediately inform the authorities or the closest embassy or consulate of your home country. To speed up
the replacement process you must know all the information on your lost passport; you must in some cases, show proof of citizenship. This may
sometimes take weeks to process and, may be valid only for a temporary period of time. Any visas you had stamped on your old passport will be
lost, you must ask for temporary traveling papers that will permit you to enter your home country. Your passport belongs to the issuing
government; you may have to surrender it to a USA government official, but if you do not get it back in a reasonable amount of time,
you must inform your country's closest office.
New Passports:
It is important for you to file for a new passport well ahead of time before your departure date. Many offices offer rush services for
a higher fee. If you are a citizen living abroad that needs a passport renew you should get in contact with the nearest consulate of you
home country.
Identification:
When traveling, it is important to carry at least two forms of identification including one photo ID. A passport combined with drivers
license is usually enough. Banks may require various ID's to cash a check, so keep that in mind when visiting one of these services.
But remember never to carry all your ID's together; put them in separate places in case of theft or loss.
Student and Teacher Identification:
The "International Student Identification Card" (ISIC), the most accepted form of student ID. If you have one of these it will get you
lots of discounts on sights, accommodation, food, and transportation. The reason this card is preferred over others is because it is more
recognized and honored abroad rather than a specific card (university card). Cardholders have access to 24-hour emergency help line for
medical, legal, and financial emergencies. Holders are also entitled for insurance benefits.
Youth Identification:
For travelers under 25 who are traveling but are not students, The International Student Travel Confederation issues a discount card.
This one-year International Youth Travel Card (IYTC) formerly known as the Go 25 Card offers many of the same benefits as the ISIC.
Customs:
When you enter the USA or Canada you must declare certain items from abroad and pay duty on the value of those articles. If you keep
receipts for the purchases from abroad it will help you with establish values when you return to your home country and pay the duty tax
for them. American and Canadian Customs Declarations. Entering the US as a non-resident, you are permitted to claim $100 of gifts and
merchandise if you will be in the country for more than 72 hours. Residents can claim $400 worth of merchandise and if you are not under 21
you can bring in 1L of wine, beer, or liquor. 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars (don't enter with Cubans), or 2kg of smoking tobacco permitted as well.
Entering Canada visitors may bring in gifts, each may not exceed CDN$60 in value. Residents that have been out of the country for more than
24-hours. May claim exemption of CDN$50. After 48-hours. They can claim CND$200, and if you have remained out of the country for 7 days
you can claim CND$750. If you are of legal drinking age in the province, and have been out of the country for more than 48-hours.
You may bring 1.5L of wine, 1.14L of liquor, or 24x355mL cans or bottles of beer or ale. You can also bring in 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or
200g or manufactured tobacco.
Money:
If you are traveling for more than two days it is recommended that you keep more cash than usual. But if you carry it around with you
it's risky even if you have it in a money belt, and many banks do not accept some money checks from other countries even if you have
many forms of ID and some other banks won't even accept checks. Many Canadian shops and vending machines accept the US dollar but they are
not legally obligated to give the exact change.
Currency and exchange:
The name of the currency in US and Canada is the dollar ($), which is divided into 100 cents ( Paper money in the US is
green; bills come in different denominations 0f 1$ $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100. Coins are 1cent (penny), 5cent (nickel), 10cent (dime),
25cent (Quarter), and $1 and in rare occasions you will see a 50cent Coin and a $2 paper bill. In Canada the paper money comes in the same
denominations as the US dollar but color coded depending on the amount. The coins are the same as the US plus $1 and $2 coins, the first
one known as "Loonie and the second one "toonie".
Traveler's Checks:
American express and Visa are the most recognized traveler's checks and are one of the safest and least troublesome means of carrying funds.
Many banks and agencies sell them for a small commission and they provide refunds if the checks are stolen and additional services like toll
free refund hotline abroad and stolen card assistance among others. When traveling keep track of the recipients of the checks cashed. Always
bring you passport when cashing a check and if they are lost or stolen immediately contact the refund center of the company that issued the
checks. For reimbursement they may require a police report for authentication.
Credit Cards:
Credit Card are generally accepted in the US and Canada even in some small businesses. Major credit card companies, MasterCard and its
European counterparts Euro Card and Access, Visa and its European counterparts Carte Bleue or Barclaycard are all welcomed most often and
can be used to extract cash advances from both US and Canada throughout the ATM machines. The exchange rates that you get when withdrawing
cash is sometimes better than going to a bank.
Costs:
The expense of your trip can vary significantly depending on where you go, how you travel and where you stay. For the foreign traveler the
highest cost of the trip will be the round trip airfare. If you plan to visit North America renting a car is recommended. A daily budget
should be made before traveling.
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