afrowheels

I'm not in the region any more myself but having recently completed my tour I still get some travel updates. Apparently in January Ecuador introduced a new regulation requiring people crossing at land borders from Colombia and Peru to have criminal record checks from their country of origin...likely to be a serious problem for any cycle tourer if it's actually applied!

It should only apply during the current 'state of emergency' that ends in early-mid-March but that could of course be extended or reimposed.

https://pe.usembassy.gov/security-al...nuary-22-2024/

https://www.colombiaone.com/2024/01/...te-foreigners/

zandoval 

Times that are coming...

That Bar Code on the forehead is fast approaching...

Tourist in MSN

I recall reading several years ago that some USA citizens were blocked from entering Canada if they have ever had a felony conviction, or a conviction for something that in Canada would be a felony. For example, some states historically did not classify a DWI as a felony, but Canada does so even if they were not actually convicted of a felony, they were still blocked. So a nasty surprise at the border.

I do not know if that is still the case, if anyone knows, please either confirm or tell me if I am wrong. I am a non-felon, does not matter to me, but if I gave incorrect info here, I hope someone corrects me.

I am planning another trip in Canada in early summer. Will be my third on a bike.

mev

Sounds like it could be a real mess and/or an excuse if they want to exclude you for other reasons. I crossed from Colombia to Tulcan Ecuador in 2017 before the pandemic. At the time, this crossing had a reputation for sometimes having long delays - though we felt fortunate to cross in about an hour.

axolotl

Both Canada & the USA routinely refuse entry to each other's citizens who have a DWI or DUI on their record. Once when I was entering Canada in a car, I encountered a nasty Canada Border Security Agency official who was convinced I was up to no good. He examined every file on my laptop and he interrogated me for 30 minutes while he ran a background check for each state I had lived in. He was visibly pissed off when he found out I had a clean record and reluctantly allowed me to enter Canada.

I had an American warmshowers guest who was allowed into Canada when he was with his dual citizen half-brother, but he was denied entry when he tried to enter alone. He had a DUI on his record.

Doug64

My wife and I crossed into Canada on our bikes more than a dozen times and was never questioned about anything more than the standard questions. One time crossing into Canada, we had a discussion about bringing in a can of Halt dog spray. They let us take it in. The last time was about four years ago and things may have changed.

RCMoeur 

Had something similar happen when taking my big ol' pickup truck off the ferry at Victoria BC in 2004 on the final leg to the Pro Walk Pro Bike conference that year. I was interrogated for half an hour by a amiable yet relentless Canadian border official who was convinced I was a part of some nefarious gun-smuggling operation (the Arizona plates apparently equaled "armed to the teeth".) My wife decided to get out of the truck during the trip and couldn't get back in, so she joined the pedestrian traffic - she was visibly pregnant, and the Canadian customs officials were even harder on her as they were certain she was trying to deliver the kid on the scenic tundra of the Great White North. But we eventually were allowed to pass.

Returning to Port Angeles: "Welcome back to the US". But someone had stolen one of my magnetic bumper stickers while we were in line. :\

Yan 

So you guys all find the Canadian border personnel to be worse than their American counterparts? I always felt the opposite.

Tourist in MSN

That is my experience too. I have only crossed on land on a bike to and from Canada once. I flew to Canada and then flew home on my Maritimes trip, no border crossing on that trip. The trip I am planning for this year will have two crossings on ferries with a bike.

The trip with the land crossing, I took a photo of my bike with the border station in the background. The USA border people acted like I was a Russian spy trying to steal nuclear weapon secrets or something. The trip back, also took a photo on the Canadian side, they had no objection.

I have often camped near the border in Northern Minnesota, this photo was taken in Boundary Waters Canoe Area, Superior National Forest, border marker. No border officials for miles around.

gauvins

Probably depends on your nationality. Entering a foreign country is a privilege whereas re-entering your own is a right.

I couldn't find straightforward data on the number of border crossings between Canada and the USA. This source suggests that 18 000 Canadians were denied entry in the USA in 2016 (0.06%). And this source writes that 30 000 Americans were denied entry. (no percentage given, but probably close to 0.1%)

​​​​​​Looks like the main reason for the difference is that DUI conviction will bar you from entering Canada. The story on this side of the border is that admitting to using cannabis (legal in Canada) will bar you from entering the USA.

mev

I also haven't had much difficulty crossing between US and Canada with a bike. Among my times:
- Crossing from Haines AK on the road to Haines Junction YT, they gave me mixed messages about bear spray. On the one hand they were asking whether I was taking in a weapon. On the other hand, their tone indicated it might be foolish to travel through bear country without spray.
- Crossing from Alaska to Beaver Creek YT, they seemed most interested in the Sudan visa in my passport. At the time, if an EU resident had traveled to Sudan in the preceding five years they required a visa to the US - so I wasn't sure if there could be something corresponding, but fortunately not an issue.
- Prior to 9/11 flew into Boston Logan airport once w/o a passport. I had crossed the land border into Canada with just my drivers license and was flying back with my bike. Hadn't realized flights from Canada would go through international arrivals but eventually allowed in.
- Prior to 9/11, my riding partner entered the US from Canada without either drivers license or passport. We had inadvertently thrown away her wallet at a fast food restaurant - and couldn't find it. We did make a police report in London OT and were able to show this to US officials at Port Huron
Mostly however, pretty uneventful crossing between US and Canada on a bike.

axolotl

Nobody said they find Canadian border personnel to be worse than their American counterparts.

My sense is that there is equal opportunity harassment by border officials of both countries, but you're unlikely to be mistreated if you're returning to your own country since you have to be allowed in. There are bad apples in every country. BTW, there are forums where you can read tales of woe from both Canadians and Americans who were attempting to enter their neighboring country. A Canadian friend of mine told me that back when he used to smoke cigarettes, he was routinely interrogated at length when coming to the US, but that stopped after he stopped smoking. He was told that border officials believe that smokers are more likely to be smuggling drugs.

I've entered Canada multiple times by bike, multiple times by ferry, multiple times by car, and multiple times by plane. It was only that one time that I had a very unpleasant experience. One other time, I was politely questioned at length while entering Canada.

ignant666

You would think that that would be so, but: I am native-born US citizen. The only border crossings where i have ever been given a hard time in my life have been a couple times re-entering the USA (never on or with a bike, to be clear). I have crossed many borders into 20 or so countries in Europe, Turkey/Iran/Afghanistan/Pakistan/India, Central and South America, and Canada, with never the slightest problem, delay, or hassle.

The most memorable was a flight back from Mexico, where i got bumped from my direct-to-NYC flight and had to change planes in Texas, thus also clearing customs/immigration in Texas. I was the only person the plane with no checked baggage, so i was the first one to hit customs after clearing immigration. I was also the last one on the plane to leave customs, after a prolonged search of my small bag and its contents, including turning literally every page of several wrestling magazines, and unfolding and painstaking examination of all the wrestling posters and masks i had.

There were also, during this long search, many many aggressive questions about my trip to Mexico,. with a persistent focus on "What did you do at night?" They did not seem to find "Went to the wrestling" a very satisfactory answer, despite the extensive evidence that this was true that they were so busy examining. I think my prolonged search was because i had a "yankee" accent, and very clearly was not from Texas (unlike every other person on the plane). They seemed very disappointed that i had no kilos of hidden drugs that they could arrest me for.

That was US customs hassling me, but i have also had a couple episodes of prolonged and hostile questioning by US immigration officers on a power trip, despite the fact that we both knew that, no matter what answers i gave them, they were going to have to eventually let me into my native country.

The Canadian border has always been completely uneventful in both directions for me.

axolotl

I've never been hassled returning to the US, but one time after flying home following a bike tour in Laos & Thailand, the immigration agent seemed to think that was suspicious and told me I had to go to a room for secondary questioning and baggage inspection after retrieving my checked luggage. After a long wait behind other passengers, it was finally my turn. I had my 2 pieces of checked luggage, one of which was my folding bike in a suitcase. When the agent opened my suitcase and saw a dismantled bike, he said to me: "You were biking?". I said "yes". He rolled his eyes, closed the suitcase, and said to me, "You're free to go." He clearly thought it was absurd that I had been selected for a secondary inspection.

indyfabz

I’ve gotten icy to 3rd degree receptions all four times entering Canada. Three of those times were by bike. Only once was the American border agent surly upon reentry. The agent at Del Bonito, MT didn’t even ask for ID. Simply asked if we were citizens and how long we had been in Canada. (Two days.) That was before 9/11, however. And we were on an ACA route, so I’m sure the guy was used to seeing cyclists.

SoCaled 

In the 80's & 90's crossing the border from NY to Canada and back was always simple (by car). You generally got a few more questions re-entering the US, "are you bringing anything back with you?" but still simple. In the mid 90's when doing the same route by train, in the winter, we stopped just before the Canadian border, in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but snow, blizzard with drifts and squaws across open ground and one teeny tiny "shack", brought to mind stereotypes of Siberia. The Canadian Border officers boarded the train with dogs and proceeded to walk them through the train. The were not mean, but they were silent and stoic. A couple of minutes later they walked off the train with a young (20's) hippy girl, in cuffs, we all watched in disbelief as they walked off the train toward the one little shack we could barley see through the darkness and snow as the train pulled away . . . chilling.

Mid nineties I had friends stop by on the way to Montreal for an event. Later that night the showed back up at my house having been turned around at the border. The Border officers had asked "does anyone have any outstanding warrants?" to which everyone answered no. Upon running their records they saw an old trespassing ticket (which had been paid) and said that should have been disclosed so they denied them entry, bummer, but the whole thing only took a few minutes. Having not gotten into Canada, they drove back down the highway and then hit a secondary checkpoint an hour inside NY (they were doing this for a while, think they stopped because it was causing accidents) the border agents at this stop asked them "where are you coming from" like rocket scientists their answer was, "we were trying to go to Canada but got denied at the border" well, that lead to a trip to the secondary inspection line, where they spent a couple of hours explaining themselves!

djb

I've crossed the Can US border on bikes many times and its always hit and miss on the reception you will get. Follow the rules, be polite, and at least be knowledgeable of the requirements and or no-no's (criminal record).

this was another spot beside a farmers field with stone markers showing the border line.

tommymc

I've crossed the USA-Canada border over many years via air, cruise ship, ferry, car, motorcycle and bicycle and don't recall any bad experiences. But in general, I find the Canadian passage to be friendlier than the return home. But we never know what a bad day the officer has had from their boss or a previous traveler and shouldn't take a less welcoming reception too personal. In another part of the world, biking through Central America I was surprised how friendly the crossings were compared to flying and bus travel over the same countries. Maybe those folks relate to bicycles better than the mode and manner of most foreigners. And it's possible that a little grey hair under the bike helmet gets more respect than in the US.

mev

I have also been pleasantly surprised with border crossings through Central America and Latin America in general. So this change in Ecuador would be a concern. Bolivia has some much more stringent rules but I had anticpated and prepared the list of 10 items they asked for:

1. Two passport photos
2. Two copies of your passport page (they only asked me for one)
3. Yellow fever vaccine
4. Proof of departure
5. Proof of accommodation
6. Typed day to day itinerary
7. Copy of bank statement
8. Bolivia entry form (they didn’t ask for this)
9. Sworn statement (they had this for me to sign)
10. $160 in crisp, new undamaged bills

The most difficult ones were the day-to-day itinerary and accommodations since I was planning on camping and expected my exact dates to be variable. However, what I did was create a rough itinerary and also print out a header page of my web site to reassure them my intention was crossing Bolivia by bicycle and not immigrating.

Some other border crossings that took just a little more included:
- Ukraine/Russia in 2006. Crossed at a small sleepy crossing between Sumy and Kursk. Guards were very interested in having me go through all my gear - so I took my time pulling out the sleeping bag, etc. Part way through a more interesting prospect (a small Mercedes with a driver) arrived so they weren't interested in me anymore. Later it took a box of chocolates to have immigration authorities in Penza recognize the crossing wasn't in Chechnya.
- Poland/Russia in 2007. The big issue was I was tried crossing at a point that didn't allow pedestrians/bicycles. Full story here - Ð?алинингÑ?ад, into a little corner of Russia ? Amsterdam to Vladivostok but essentially involved getting the border guards to help me commandeer a minibus to take me through the crossing.
- China flying into Beijing with an expired visa.
- Indonesia/Timor-Leste in 2022. Forgot to get an exit stamp and then the border closed for two hours while I was in no-mans land between the two countries.
However, in general these border guards are doing their job and as long as you let them be the ones administering their rules and be polite it all goes pretty far and a bicycle seems like at least as much a help as hinderance.