The US State Department recently announced all US citizens who want to enter Canada will have to show a passport by Jan. 1, 2008.
Canadian citizens will have to show a passport to enter the United States as well. US citizens will also have to show passports to re-enter from Mexico, Panama and Bermuda.
Currently, a driver’s license or a government-issued ID is the only requirement to enter Canada. Passports cost $82 for ages 16 and under, and $97 for adults.
Applications usually take about six to eight weeks to process.
Requirements include two photographs, proof of US citizenship and a valid photo identification such as a driver’s license.
Currently, Lake Orion is one of several area post offices that process passport applications.
The Lake Orion Post Office offers the service Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and Lake Orion Postmaster Ted Banks said he will wait to see if those hours will need to be expanded.
‘I think it will impact every post office that does passports,? he said of the new ruling.
‘We’ve had a lot of customers come in already who frequently travel to Canada and want to be ready.?
Banks said so far, the increase in customers seeking a passport since the new rules were announced has had a ‘trickling effect? on the Lake Orion Post Office’s workload.
‘I don’t know yet if we’ll need to add staff,? he said.
The new ruling’s first phase goes into effect on Dec. 31, 2005, when all US citizens traveling via sea or air to or from the Caribbean, and Central and South America, must have passports.
The next phase will require passports for air and sea travel to Mexico and Canada, beginning a year later.
Finally, passports will be required by Dec. 31, 2007 for all air, sea and land border crossings into Mexico and Canada.