Papers, money, phones, and Canada across the river
Detroit is one of the easiest big American cities to land in: the airport express coach gets you downtown in 30–50 minutes, and Canada is right across the river. Here's what your passport needs, what happens at customs, how much to tip and who to call if something goes wrong. Rules change, so every answer comes with the official link: check it before you travel.
Where are you coming from? Here's what goes in your pocket
Pick your passport and we'll show you what it takes to get in, which papers to carry and what a quick hop over to Windsor involves. This is our summary: the officer at the border always has the final say and rules change, so check the official page before you travel. Checked October 1, 2026.
No visa on a Hungarian passport: you come under the Visa Waiver Program for tourism or business meetings, for up to 90 days, with an approved ESTA. Since September 30, 2025, Hungarian ESTAs are good for two years and multiple trips again. It's $40.27 now and $40.62 from October 16, 2026; apply only on the official site or the ESTA Mobile app, at least 72 hours before you fly. No working or studying on an ESTA, and the 90 days can't be extended.
What you’ll need
A burgundy, chipped (biometric) Hungarian passport valid for your whole stay. The U.S. Embassy in Budapest asks for six months beyond your planned stay, so that's the safe bet. An ID card won't do.
An approved ESTA. Type your name exactly as it appears in the machine-readable lines at the bottom of your passport.
A return or onward ticket, printed or on your phone.
The address of your first night: the officer may ask where you're staying.
Travel insurance with solid medical cover. It isn't required, but U.S. health care is very expensive.
If a child travels with one parent or without parents: a notarized consent letter in English from the absent parent, with contact details.
Popping over to Canada?
For Windsor by car, bus, on foot or by bike, your Hungarian passport is enough; Canada only wants an eTA (C$7) when you fly in. Coming back you clear U.S. border control again on the same ESTA and pick up where your original 90 days left off: a side trip to Canada doesn't reset the clock.
Romanian passports need a visa: Romania was named to the Visa Waiver Program in early 2025, but the U.S. put it on hold on March 25, 2025, before ESTA ever opened for Romanians, and Romania still isn't among the program's 42 countries. For a tourist trip you apply for a B1/B2 visitor visa at the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest: fill in the DS-160 online, book an appointment and bring the printed DS-160 confirmation page with its barcode to the interview. Apply early, and don't book anything non-refundable until the visa is in your passport.
What you’ll need
A Romanian passport valid for your whole stay.
A B1/B2 visitor visa in your passport.
A return or onward ticket and the address where you're staying.
Your I-94 arrival record is electronic: after you land, check your admit-until date on i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
Travel insurance with solid medical cover.
Popping over to Canada?
With an electronic (chipped) Romanian passport you need only the passport to drive or walk into Canada, plus an eTA if you fly; an older passport without a chip means a Canadian visa. Coming back you need your passport and a U.S. visa that still allows another entry: the Entries field on your visa tells you how many.
Serbian passports need a visa, and you can't get one at the border: for a tourist trip you apply for a B1/B2 visa at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, with the online DS-160 form and an interview. At entry the officer may ask why you came, where you're staying and for how long, and even a valid visa doesn't guarantee entry. Apply early and lock in your ticket only once the visa is in hand.
What you’ll need
A Serbian passport valid at least until the end of your planned stay.
A B1/B2 visa. If your valid visa is in an old passport, there's no need to transfer it: carry both the old and the new passport.
Your I-94 is electronic; after you arrive you can print it from i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
A return or onward ticket and the address where you're staying.
Travel insurance: Serbia's foreign ministry notes a basic doctor's visit can run $150–200.
Popping over to Canada?
On a Serbian passport even an afternoon in Windsor takes a Canadian visitor visa, by land too: you apply through Canada's visa application centre in Belgrade, with fingerprints and a photo. Coming back you need a U.S. visa that still allows another entry.
Most EU and Schengen countries are in the Visa Waiver Program, including Austria, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Czechia, Italy, France and Spain, plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. Same deal: an e-passport, an approved ESTA ($40.27 now, $40.62 from October 16, 2026) and up to 90 days. Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania are in the EU but not in the program, so their citizens need a visa. If you've been to Cuba since January 12, 2021, or to Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen since March 1, 2011, you need a visa instead of an ESTA.
What you’ll need
An e-passport (with a chip) valid for your whole stay; your own foreign ministry will tell you how much extra validity it recommends.
An approved ESTA. If yours is older, check that it has a photo of you: CBP now requires one, and without it you may need a new ESTA.
A return or onward ticket and the address where you're staying.
Travel insurance with solid medical cover.
Popping over to Canada?
Most EU and Schengen passports need nothing but the passport to drive or walk into Canada, and an eTA (C$7) only if you fly; that goes for Bulgarian and Cypriot passports too. Coming back on an ESTA you carry on with your original 90 days; Bulgarians and Cypriots need a U.S. visa that still allows another entry.
British passports come under the Visa Waiver Program too: an approved ESTA, up to 90 days, and you need the ESTA at land borders as well as airports. The UK government says your passport must be valid for the length of your planned stay. If you've ever been arrested (even without a conviction), have a criminal record, or were refused entry or deported from the U.S., you may not qualify for an ESTA and will need a visa. British citizens can also apply for Global Entry after passing a UK background check.
What you’ll need
A full British citizen passport valid until the end of your trip.
An approved ESTA that includes the required photo.
A return or onward ticket and the address where you're staying.
If a child 17 or under travels alone or with one parent: a parental consent letter, preferably in English and notarized.
Popping over to Canada?
For Windsor by car, bus or on foot your British passport is enough; you need an eTA only to fly. Coming back you re-enter on the same ESTA and carry on with your original 90 days.
As a Canadian you usually need no visa and can generally stay up to six months. Flying in, you need a passport or NEXUS card; by land, anyone 16 or older needs a passport or a Trusted Traveler card such as NEXUS. Staying longer than 30 days means registering with the U.S. government, and your I-94 record shows whether that happened automatically. Ottawa also warns that past cannabis use can get you refused entry.
What you’ll need
A Canadian passport or NEXUS card valid for your whole stay.
Kids 15 and under crossing by land can use a birth certificate (original or copy) or a Canadian citizenship certificate instead of a passport.
Staying more than 30 days: registration; check your I-94 on i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
Travel medical insurance: U.S. care is expensive.
Popping over to Canada?
Heading home through Windsor? As a Canadian you enter by right; a Canadian passport is the only universally accepted proof, so carry it even with NEXUS. There's no duty-free allowance after less than 24 hours away, C$200 after 24 hours and C$800 after 48.
If your country isn't one of the 42 in the Visa Waiver Program, you need a U.S. visa, usually a B1/B2 for tourism, from the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country of residence or nationality. Non-European members such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Singapore, Taiwan, Israel and Qatar come on an ESTA, just like most Europeans. Since January 1, 2026, Presidential Proclamation 10998 suspends or limits entry and visas for nationals of 39 countries, so check travel.state.gov to see whether it affects you.
What you’ll need
A passport valid for your whole trip.
A U.S. visa or, if your country is in the program, an approved ESTA.
Your I-94: after you arrive, check your admit-until date on i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
A return or onward ticket, the address where you're staying and travel insurance.
Popping over to Canada?
Check canada.ca: many nationalities need a Canadian visa even for an afternoon in Windsor. Citizens of visa-exempt countries need only a passport by land and an eTA only to fly. A few visa-required countries (Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines and Thailand among them) can get an eTA instead of a visa under certain conditions, but only for air travel. Coming back you need a U.S. visa that still allows another entry.
Rules change: always check the official sites before you travel.
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What to sort out before you fly
Tick things off as you go. Anything that can change has its official link up above, on your passport's card.
Your ticks are remembered in this browser only; we don’t send them anywhere.
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What happens when you land at DTW?
On a nonstop from Europe, Detroit is your first U.S. airport, so this is where you enter the country. Each terminal has its own border control.
Passport control
At McNamara, international arrivals is on the lower level, below domestic baggage claim; at Evans it's on the baggage-claim level next to carousel 2. The officer may ask why you came, how long you're staying and where. The airport says the wait often runs an hour or more.
Faster with an app
Mobile Passport Control is a free app, live in Detroit since July 9, 2024: for U.S. and Canadian travelers and for returning Visa Waiver visitors with an approved ESTA.
Bags and customs
Declare all food, even if it seems harmless: failing to declare prohibited agricultural items can cost up to $1,000 for a first offense. Cash over $10,000 must be reported too.
Connecting onward
Allow at least two hours: after customs you go through security again. You can only switch terminals outside security, by shuttle.
Into the city
The DAX express coach is $6 online in advance or $8 on board and reaches downtown in 30–50 minutes; SMART FAST 261 is $2. Uber and Lyft pick up in the parking garages, and free shuttles run to the rental car lots. All the details are on our airport page.
Michigan doesn't ask visitors for a local license, but if yours has no English translation you need an International Driving Permit with it. Keep your passport and I-94 on you.
Your arrival record is electronic. In your first few days, look it up on i94.cbp.dhs.gov and make sure the date is right: it shows how long you may stay.
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What can you bring, and what should stay home?
Customs is strict but not complicated: declare anything edible, every time. Declare something banned and it gets taken; hide it and you can be fined too.
What
The rule
Our tip
Gifts
Up to $100 duty-free if you stay at least 72 hours; once every six months.
Up to 100 cigars can count toward it.
Alcohol
1 liter duty-free for adults, for personal use.
One bottle of pálinka fits; anything more is dutiable. Michigan's drinking age is 21.
Tobacco
200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 2 kilograms of tobacco, for personal use.
You can mix them proportionally.
Cash
Anything over $10,000 must be reported.
It isn't banned; you just have to report it.
Meat, sausage, salami
Many fresh, dried and canned meats are banned from abroad because of animal diseases; cured ham and salami from areas of France, Germany, Italy and Spain can't come in with travelers.
Leave the homemade kolbász and salami at home.
Other food
Declare all of it; undeclared prohibited agricultural items can cost up to $1,000 for a first offense.
Finish the fresh fruit on the plane.
Medicine
Up to a 90-day personal supply; drugs banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can't come in.
In original packaging, with a doctor's note in English.
Cannabis, CBD
Illegal under federal law; don't carry it across any border, in any form.
Even though it's legal in Michigan.
Phones and laptops
Officers may inspect your devices, messages and social media activity.
Refusing can delay or deny your entry.
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Popping over to Windsor for the afternoon?
From Detroit, Canada is to the south: Windsor sits across the river, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away and in the same time zone. Here's how it works:
Check your papers
The passport picker above shows what applies to you. In short: citizens of visa-exempt countries need only a passport by land and an eTA only to fly; Serbian and many other passports need a Canadian visa. An ID card won't do.
Pick your crossing
There are three ways across: the new Gordie Howe International Bridge (open since July 27, 2026), the old Ambassador Bridge and the downtown tunnel. Gordie Howe tolls are collected on the Windsor side in both directions: $5.75 or C$8 for a car. Live wait times are on our page.
On foot or by bike, take the free path across the Gordie Howe bridge; border inspection is in a separate building at the end. Through the tunnel, a private shuttle, the Linq Tunnel Bus, has run since October 2025; Transit Windsor's city tunnel bus ended on August 31, 2025.
Don't carry cannabis in any form, CBD oil included: without a permit it's a serious crime, whatever Michigan allows. Declare C$10,000 or more in cash. An impaired-driving conviction can make you inadmissible to Canada.
In Windsor
You pay in Canadian dollars, and it's metric over here: kilometers per hour and liters. The riverfront parks have the best views of the Detroit skyline.
You clear U.S. border control again: passport plus ESTA or visa. On an ESTA you carry on with your original 90 days. Declare food here too, and don't bring cannabis.
Visa, Mastercard and American Express work almost everywhere, but currency exchange offices are rare, mostly at airports and big hotels. Both DTW terminals have ATMs and a currency-exchange machine.
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The price tag isn't the total
Shelf and menu prices are before tax: Michigan adds its 6% sales tax at the register, with no city sales tax on top. Hotel bills carry tax too.
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Tipping at restaurants
At a sit-down meal, 15–20% of the pre-tax bill is standard. It isn't optional politeness: in 2026 Michigan lets employers pay tipped workers $5.49 an hour instead of the $13.73 minimum wage, as long as tips make up the difference.
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Bars, taxis and hotels
At the bar, $1–2 a drink or 15–20% of the tab; taxis 15–20%; housekeeping $2–5 a day; valet $2–5. Takeout carries no obligation.
€
Pay in dollars
If a card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, choose dollars: on-the-spot conversion can cost more.
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Bottle deposits
Michigan adds a 10-cent deposit to most drink bottles and cans, and you get it back when you return them to the store.
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At the gas pump
If the pump asks for a ZIP code your foreign card can't give, go inside and pay at the counter.
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What's different from home? Phones, power, units and time
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Phones and eSIMs
The EU's roam-like-at-home deal doesn't cover the U.S., and data can get expensive, so ask your provider before you go. A travel eSIM or a local prepaid SIM is often the better deal; you'll need an unlocked phone. DTW has free Wi-Fi with no login.
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Power
120 volts and 60 hertz with flat-pin type A and B plugs; Hungary runs on 230 volts with type C and F. You'll need an adapter, and a voltage converter only for gear that can't handle 100–240 volts.
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Fahrenheit
Temperatures are in Fahrenheit: 32°F is freezing, 68°F is 20°C and 86°F is 30°C. Quick mental math: subtract 30 and halve it.
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Miles
A mile is 1.609 kilometers. Speed limits are in miles per hour: 25 mph is about 40 km/h and 70 mph about 113 km/h. Over in Windsor it's kilometers.
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Gallons
Gas is sold by the gallon: one U.S. gallon is 3.785 liters, so the posted price buys you nearly four liters.
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Sizes and floors
Clothing and shoe sizes differ from European ones, so check each brand's size chart. Floors count from the ground: the first floor is street level.
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Time zone
Detroit, like Windsor, runs on Eastern Time. Budapest is usually 6 hours ahead, but only 5 between October 25 and November 1, 2026, and between March 14 and 28, 2027, because America changes its clocks on different days. Clocks here fall back at 2 a.m. on November 1, 2026.
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Dates and clocks
Dates go month/day/year, so 10/1/2026 is October 1, not January 10. Time is on the 12-hour clock with a.m. and p.m.
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If something goes wrong, and the rules that catch visitors out
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911 and the other numbers
Police, fire, ambulance: 911, free. For a poisoning, Poison Control is 1-800-222-1222, free and confidential. In an emotional crisis, call or text 988, around the clock.
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When it isn't urgent
If nobody's in danger, say your bag was stolen and the thief is long gone, call the Detroit Police telephone reporting unit at (313) 267-4600 or file online on the city's site.
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Doctors and insurance
There's no public coverage for visitors, and care is expensive: Hungary's consular service puts a basic doctor's visit at $100–150, and hospitals often add a registration fee of around $100. Some hospitals ask visitors for a deposit, so call your insurer first.
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Emergency rooms and urgent care
Under federal law, emergency rooms must screen and stabilize an emergency regardless of your ability to pay, but the bill follows. For smaller problems, look for an urgent care clinic; they can write prescriptions too.
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Pharmacies
The big pharmacy chains are CVS and Walgreens, and many larger stores have a pharmacy counter; over-the-counter medicine is right on the shelf. Your home prescription isn't valid here.
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Staying safe
The UK foreign office says violent crime rarely affects tourists, but stay alert in unfamiliar areas, avoid walking quiet streets alone at night and never leave your passport in a rental car, least of all in the trunk. Do carry your passport: it shows you're here legally.
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Drinking age 21
You must be 21 to buy or drink alcohol, and bars check ID, so bring your passport. In Michigan, licensed bars and stores can't sell alcohol between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.
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Cannabis
It's legal in Michigan from 21, up to 2.5 ounces on you, but no smoking in public and no driving high. It's still illegal under federal law, it can't cross the border either way, and Canada's government warns that past use alone can get you refused entry to the U.S.
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Accessibility
Under the federal ADA, service dogs must be let in, no certificate or vest required (emotional support animals don't count). At DTW wheelchairs are free through your airline, and sunflower lanyards are available for hidden disabilities. The QLINE streetcar and the People Mover are both accessible, and both are free.
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Lost your passport? Here's your consulate
Most countries serve Michigan from Chicago; Canada, Mexico, Japan and Lebanon have offices in the Detroit area. Hungary has no honorary consul in Michigan; the nearest one is in Ohio, near Cleveland. EU citizens whose country has no office within reach can turn to any EU member state's consulate.
Country
Office
Address
Phone
Good to know
Hungary
Consulate General, Chicago
303 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60601
+1 312 344 1290
Michigan is in its district. After hours, Budapest's consular duty line: +36 80 36 80 36.
Hungary
Honorary consul, Walton Hills (Ohio)
Walton Hills, near Cleveland
+1 440 488 7882
The nearest Hungarian honorary consul, under the Chicago consulate general.
Romania
Consulate General, Chicago
Chicago
+1 312 307 2923
Michigan is in its district.
Serbia
Consulate General, Chicago
201 East Ohio Street, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60611
+1 312 670 6707
Michigan is in its district. Emergency line: +1 312 523 5929.
Canada
Consulate General, Detroit
600 Renaissance Center, Suite 1100, Detroit, MI 48243
+1 844 880 6519
24/7 emergency line for Canadians in Ottawa: +1 888 949 9993.
Mexico
Consulate, Madison Heights
1403 East 12 Mile Road, Madison Heights, MI 48071
+1 248 336 0320
Covers all of Michigan.
Japan
Consulate General, Detroit
Downtown Detroit
+1 313 567 0120
Check the official site for the street address.
Lebanon
Consulate, Detroit
Detroit
+1 313 763 9963
Call ahead before you go.
United Kingdom
Consulate General, Chicago
Chicago
+1 312 970 3800
Michigan is in its district.
Germany
Consulate General, Chicago
676 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3200, Chicago, IL 60611
+1 312 202 0480
Michigan is in its district. After-hours emergencies: +1 202 298 4000.
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What everyone asks
Do Hungarians need a visa?
Not for tourism or business meetings of up to 90 days: an approved ESTA does it. Since September 30, 2025, Hungarian ESTAs are valid for two years and multiple trips again. It's $40.27 now and $40.62 from October 16, 2026.
Will my national ID card do?
No. Both the U.S. and Canada want a passport from visitors; Hungary's consular service spells it out: an ID card, driver's license or emergency passport won't get you into the U.S.
How long does arrival take at DTW?
The airport says customs often takes an hour or more. If you've visited on an ESTA before, the free Mobile Passport Control app can speed things up.
I'm flying into Toronto and driving to Detroit. What do I need?
On a Visa Waiver passport: flying into Canada takes an eTA (C$7). At the U.S. border you need an ESTA, since it's required at land crossings too, and you'll get a land I-94 for $30, which you can request ahead of time in the CBP Link app.
Can I walk to Canada?
Yes, on the Gordie Howe bridge's walking and cycling path, for free. Bring your passport; border inspection is at the end of the bridge. Live wait times are on our Gordie Howe bridge page.
Can I bring pálinka and sausage?
One liter of pálinka is duty-free for adults. Leave the sausage and salami at home: most meat products are banned. Declare every bit of food, because an undeclared prohibited item can cost up to $1,000.
How much should I tip?
15–20% of the pre-tax bill at restaurants, $1–2 a drink at the bar and 15–20% in a taxi. Michigan's 6% sales tax gets added at the register.
What if I stay longer than 90 days?
You can't extend an ESTA stay. Overstaying can lead to detention, removal and future bans, so if you want to stay longer, get a visa before you come.
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