Mexico and Canada crossings: Hey, you can’t just waltz in

NEWS about U.S. plans to require passports for people returning to or entering the U.S. from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean set off a firestorm of protest last month. Critics said the requirement would complicate their lives.

What many forget is that travel among Western Hemisphere countries even now is not without its complications.

If you’ve been convicted of drunk driving or you’re traveling with children, or your spouse is not a U.S. citizen, you may encounter special problems. But anyone can get ensnared in bureaucracy at the border.

Under a plan announced last month by the U.S. government, everyone will need a passport or “other accepted document” (what that is has not yet been fully defined) to enter or reenter the U.S. from the Caribbean, Bermuda and Central and South America starting Dec. 31. (You already need a passport and visa to visit some of these nations.) By Dec. 31, 2006, the same rule will apply for Mexico and Canada, and by the end of 2007 to all nations.

Several of the affected countries have protested the change, saying it would hurt tourism.

But even now, many experts advise carrying a passport any time you leave the U.S. Heightened concern about terrorism, they say, is turning the passport into an all-purpose ID. There’s also a chance that your plane or cruise ship may be diverted to a country that requires a passport or that your own plans may change.

Even without extraordinary events, you can encounter border problems. Some examples:

Driving record: It’s a little-known law, but Canada may bar visitors who have been convicted of drunk driving, which may be called DUI (driving under the influence) or DWI (driving while intoxicated), depending on the locale.

The rules are complicated. If your offense took place more than 10 years ago, you’re deemed “rehabilitated” and should have no problem, said Amelie Morin of the Canadian Border Services Agency in Ottawa. If it was more than five years ago, you may apply for a temporary resident’s permit, which costs $250 Canadian (about $200 U.S.) and is issued on “a case-by-case basis,” Morin said.

If the conviction is more recent, you may be barred. Visit a Canadian consulate for details.

I asked Morin how Canada learns about a DUI. She responded: “When someone is arriving at a port of entry, our officers will question the person. Our officers also have access to a computer system that checks for criminal records by name and date of birth.”

When I said that neither several acquaintances nor I recalled being asked about DUI or other convictions when crossing into Canada, she said, “I can’t comment on how you were processed at the border.”

If you don’t disclose the DUI and you get caught, you may be asked to leave Canada.

Children: If a minor is with both parents, crossing a border is usually routine. But if the child is alone, with one parent or with a third party, a letter of consent from the absent parent or guardian may be required.

The rules vary. Canada, for instance, requires notarized letters for children traveling solo or with third parties but not for those with one parent -- although it’s best to err on the safe side, officials said. Brazil requires that such letters be translated into Portuguese.

Noncitizen spouse: You’re traveling together, legally joined as one in the U.S. But to foreign governments, you’re two different cases.

Allan and Edna Elnar-Wicker of Claremont encountered this issue in February while planning a summer volunteer vacation to help a medical clinic in Belize. Allan needs only a passport. But because Edna is a permanent U.S. resident who carries a Philippine passport, she’ll have to apply for a visa ($60) and provide Belize with her itinerary, a bank statement and more.

Allan was dismayed.

“If I was going alone, none of this would be requested,” he said. “It’s blatant and overt discrimination.”

But such rules are not unusual, said Ted Kraus, a passport and visa specialist with Passport Express, based in Providence, R.I., a service that helps about 10,000 customers a year obtain passports and visa applications.

“Frequently, countries require a bank statement from visa applicants,” he said, “because they want to know you have the financial means to leave the country.”

Shifting politics: Under a diplomatic principle called “reciprocity,” nations may play tit for tat on visa rules.

Brazil, for instance, last year began fingerprinting and photographing American travelers, matching a new U.S. policy. Its visa fee for Americans is $100.

“Brazil is very hard to work with on occasion,” Kraus said.

A Princess cruise down the Amazon last month was delayed several hours, at least partly because of immigration holdups, pushing shore excursions to the next day. Princess Cruises spokeswoman Karen Tetherow said strong river currents were also a factor.

At the Sao Paulo airport in Brazil, Kevork Keushkerian of Pasadena was asked to present a second ID, in addition to his U.S. passport, when he approached a ticket counter. His traveling companion, who went to a different ticket counter, was not asked for another ID.

To reduce your chances of encountering problems, check with the consulate or embassy of the country you plan to visit. On the Internet, www.embassy.org posts a contacts list. The U.S. State Department site www.travel.state.gov lists country-by-country entry rules, but they are not always updated.

Make sure your visa, if required, is current; for tourists, they typically are valid for 30 or 90 days. Many nations won’t accept a passport that expires in less than six months.

If you arrive and run afoul of a rule, Kraus said, “be agreeable. Kill them with kindness.”

Courtesy translates well in any country.

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Hear more tips from Jane Engle on Travel Insider topics at latimes.com/engle. She welcomes comments but can’t respond individually to letters and calls. Write to Travel Insider, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A., CA 90012, or e-mail jane.engle@latimes.com.