Flying to Canada – Trip Planning Guide

If you are planning a trip to the Canada for the first time, there are number of tasks you have to prepare for in advance.

RocketRoute is here to help you with our Trip Planning Team and with all the details if you prefer to Do It Yourself.

Overview

There are 7 basic tasks to prepare for in advance before flying to Canada:

1. Select  Airport of Entry (AOE)

2. Check passport requirements

3. Apply for a visa

4. Submit API

5. Ensure Canpass is submitted

6. Overflight and Landing Clearances

7. Cabotage rules in Canada

1) Airport of Entry (AOE)

An airport of entry (AOE) is an airport that provides customs and immigration services for incoming flights. The following factors can help you choose the correct AOE:

• Always check if a Canadian airport is a port of entry and will accept an international arrival.
• Each Canada Border Services agency (CBSA) office has certain discretion when accepting a flight.
• Some international airports are not equipped with the correct machinery to scan fingerprints and may refuse a passenger travelling under the visa waiver program.
• A flight can often depart internationally from an airport that is not a port of entry.

These are the most popular airports of entry in Canada:

To see the full list of the Airports of Entry visit the online Wikipedia page. Click on the "Visit" below:

2) Passports:

All visitors to Canada, including visiting crew members, require valid passports except:

• A citizen of the US.
• A visitor seeking entry from the U.S. or St-Pierre and Miquelon who has been lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence.
• A resident of Greenland entering Canada from Greenland.
• French citizens who reside permanently in St-Pierre and Miquelon, seeking entry from St-Pierre and Miquelon.
• A member of the armed forces of any designated state entering Canada pursuant to the Visiting Forces Act; and (f) a visitor who is seeking entry as, or in order to become, a member of the crew of a vehicle and who is in possession of a seafarer’s identity document issued to him/her pursuant to International Labour Organization conventions or is in possession of an airline flight crew licence or crew member certificate issued to him/her in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization specifications. The flight crew licence holder must be a member of the operating crew.

3) Visas Requirements:

When you arrive in Canada, a border services officer will greet you. The officer works for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The CBSA protects Canada's borders and points of entry.

The officer will ask to see your passport or travel documents. If you applied for a parent and grandparent super visa, you will have other documents to give to the officer.

Even if you do not need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a visa to enter Canada, the officer will ask you a few questions. The officer will make sure that you meet the requirements to enter Canada.

You will not be allowed into Canada if you give false or incomplete information. You must convince the officer that you are eligible for entry into Canada. You will also have to convince the officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your approved stay.

Children under 18 must travel with appropriate documents and meet the same entry requirements as adults. The border services officer may ask minor children to present other documents depending on whether the child is travelling alone or with someone.

The officer will stamp your passport or let you know how long you can stay in Canada. The period is usually six months. In some cases, the officer may limit or extend this period to cover the planned purpose of your visit. Ask questions if you are not sure about anything.

If you do not obey the conditions of your eTA or visa, we will ask you to leave Canada. Most people asked to leave Canada have the right to a fair hearing to review the decision.

To apply for a Canadian visa you need to complete the following steps:

• Get the application package. Your package includes the application guide and all the forms you need to fill out.
• Pay your application fees.
• Submit your application.
• Check processing time.

To apply for Canada Visa, visit a useful link is provided below:

4) API - Advance Passenger Information

Air carriers are required by law to provide Advance Passenger Information and all available Passenger Named Record data about all passengers to the CBSA before a flight’s arrival in Canada.

Advance Passenger Information (API) data is basic information that identifies air travellers and flight crew. It includes your name, date of birth, gender, citizenship, and travel document data (e.g. passport number). This type of information can be obtained from the machine-readable area of your passport. Air carriers collect API data when you check in.

Passenger Name Record (PNR) data is traveller flight reservation and itinerary information collected by air carriers. Specific PNR data that is collected varies from one airline to the next. It includes: type of ticket, date of travel, number of bags, seating information, etc. This type of information is in the commercial carrier's departure control and reservation systems. The CBSA does not require commercial air carriers to gather or provide any additional information that is not already collected for their own business purposes.

This information helps to identify high-risk individuals so they can be flagged for closer questioning and examination when they arrive in Canada.

The API/PNR data is used to identify potential illegal activity such as:

• Terrorism or terror-related crimes;
• Human smuggling or trafficking;
• Narcotics smuggling; and
• Other serious transnational crimes.

Using the information, the CBSA can understand and respond to criminal activity, and more efficiently process travellers entering Canada. All of the information is stored in a secure system accessible only by authorized CBSA officers and stored up to 6 years.

Does the CBSA share API/PNR data?

When collected API/PNR data relates to terrorism or serious transnational crime, the CBSA may share it on a case-by-case basis with other government departments or foreign states. The CBSA will release the minimum amount of data necessary and only to other government departments or foreign states that have committed to provide the data with the same type of protection offered by the CBSA.

To read more about API flying to Canada, click link below:

5) Customs Notification-Canpass

When general aviation aircraft enter Canada, they report to the CBSA by telephone. Travellers on private, company-owned, or charter aircraft carrying no more than 15 people (including the crew), must call the Telephone Reporting Centre (TRC) to get authorization from the CBSA to enter or return to Canada. General aviation aircraft must land at an approved airport of entry (AOE) during the CBSA's hours of business.

If the aircraft is carrying more than 15 people, the pilot has to contact the CBSA office at the proposed AOE in advance to arrange for customs clearance on arrival.

When to Call.

The pilot has to report the estimated time of arrival (ETA) by calling at least two hours, but no more than 48 hours, before flying into Canada.

TRC for All of Canada
Hamilton, ON
Telephone: 905-679-2073
Fax: 905-679-6877

The pilot has to provide the TRC with the following information: ETA; aircraft license or registration number; destination in Canada;the full name, date of birth, and citizenship of all persons on board; purpose of the trip and length of stay in Canada for non-residents; length of absence from Canada for Canadian residents; a declaration for each person aboard; and any updates concerning the original ETA, passengers, or destination.

If the aircraft has to land at a place not designated for customs reporting due to weather conditions or other circumstances, the pilot must call either 1-888-226-7277 or the nearest CBSA office or Royal Canadian Mounted Police office. Depending on the circumstances, the flight may be cleared over the phone, the pilot may be requested to await the arrival of a CBSA officer at that site, or the pilot may be requested to fly to the nearest AOE at the first opportunity.

6)  Overflight and Landing Clearances:

Overflight permits are not required for Private non-revenue flights.

Also Private non-revenue flights do not require landing permits for destination or tech stops in Canada. Landing permits are not necessary for charter flight tech stops or overnight stops for purposes of crew rest, with or without passengers on board.

7) Cabotage in Canada

Cabotage is the transport of goods or passengers between two points in the same country by an aircraft registered in another country. International legs for which an aircraft flies to a country to drop off passengers or to pick up passengers departing the country are not considered as  cabotage.

Cabotage is taken seriously in Canada, and as such any unauthorized business aviation aircraft movements may result in substantial fines or restrictions.

Normally there are no cabotage issues with private non-revenue flights, as long as the  passengers are associated with the company, and no fee is paid for the flight.

For commercial non schedule flights the rules are different so please check the regulations accordingly.

For the most up to date information please refer to the Canadian border information service website:

Closing Points:

• As with all trips please ensure you have all valid aircraft documents on board in case of any Ramp Inspections;
• Ensure all passengers and crew have correct documentation to enter Canada;
• Ensure Canpass is submitted with correct information and crew call TRC for clearance as directed above;
• Please note that API/PNR – relates to commercial and private flights.
• Please be clear on the cabotage rules in Canada.

Let Us Help You

If you are travelling to the Canada and have questions regarding trip planning, call RocketRoute's operations support team  24/7:

N. America: +1 321 473 7423
UK: +44 1273 782130
DE: +49 4161 2063 86
FR: +33 970 448 557
AT: +43 720 883 147

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