US citizens, flying
Bring your passport book
You need a valid US passport book to fly into Canada and to fly back home. A passport card doesn't work for flights.
Coming from the US and abroad
Getting here
Vancouver is an international trip for almost everyone coming. Sort out your documents first, then pick how you'll get here.
Documents
US citizens, driving or by train
Passport, passport card, NEXUS or enhanced license
Any of these gets you across a land border and back. Kids under 16 can cross by land with a birth certificate.
US green card holders
Green card plus your passport
Flying, bring your green card and a valid passport from your country of citizenship. By land, your green card is enough. You don't need an eTA.
Guests from other countries
Check whether you need an eTA
Many visitors flying in need an Electronic Travel Authorization before they board, and some need a visa. Check on the Government of Canada site well before you book.
Kids travelling with one parent
Bring a consent letter
If a child is travelling without both parents, carry a signed letter from the parent who isn't coming. Border officers can ask for it.
At the border
Leave cannabis at home
It's legal in parts of both countries but illegal to carry across the border in either direction, even in small amounts.
Ways to get here
Fly into YVR
Vancouver International
Most direct. The Canada Line train runs from the airport to downtown in about 25 minutes. Taxis and rideshares wait outside arrivals.
Fly into Bellingham, WA
Bellingham International
Often cheaper than flying into Canada. It's about an hour's drive to Vancouver plus the border wait, so you'll want a rental car or a ride.
From Seattle
Drive or take the train
About three hours by car, depending on the border. The Amtrak Cascades train runs Seattle to Vancouver's Pacific Central Station.
Driving across the borderPeace Arch and Pacific Highway are the two main crossings near Vancouver, and waits change hour to hour. Check live wait times before you leave, and avoid Friday afternoons and holiday weekends if you can.