Canadian operators welcome child passport exemption

Gavin Lipsith

Print Article E-Mail Article E-Mail Author

The Frontier Duty Free Association has won a crucial battle after the US rules to exempt children from tough new passport requirements

Children under the age of 16 will be exempt from new rules requiring all passengers crossing US borders to carry a passport. The exemption, announced earlier this week, is a big concession in making cross-border travel cheaper and simpler for families.

The Canadian border store industry has been particularly perturbed by the new requirements, which form part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), as previously people crossing the border were not required to show passports. Children travelling in families will be exempt if parents provide consent and a certified copy of the children's birth certificates. Children travelling in groups will also be exempt.

Peace Bridge Duty Free general manager and Frontier Duty Free Association vice-president Chuck Loewen hailed the child exemption as a vital breakthrough. He told local press: "We are extremely pleased by this news. Employees in our stores handle questions about passport requirements every day. Both our US and Canadian customers have expressed concern over needing passports for their kids. This softening of the rules will be much appreciated not only by families, but by the many businesses on both sides of the border that depend on visitors."

WHTI passport requirements came into effect for air passengers into the US on January 23. They will be extended to marine points of entry and land border crossings between January 1 2008 and June 1 2009.