Canada has introduced a new transit process allowing eligible international passengers to skip Canadian border control when connecting through Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal to another international destination.
The Free Flow International-to-International Transit process applies at:
- Toronto Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1
- Vancouver International Airport
- Montréal Pierre Elliott-Trudeau International Airport
Eligible passengers can proceed directly to the international departures area after landing in Canada. They do not need to meet a border officer or use a kiosk.
To qualify, travellers must:
- Hold a confirmed airline ticket for an international flight departing Canada within 24 hours of arrival
- Remain inside the airport’s designated international departure zone until boarding
- Have the required visas and travel documents for their final destination
- Have a same-day onward connection
- Have baggage that is transferred automatically by the airline
The process depends on airlines collecting and sharing passenger flight information with the Canada Border Services Agency, including the traveller’s final destination and scheduled departure time.
Travellers transiting through Canada on the way to the United States are directed to the airport’s U.S. connection area. There, passengers and baggage are re-screened for security and processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The exemption does not apply if the traveller’s baggage is not transferred automatically or if the onward flight is not scheduled for the same day. In those cases, passengers must collect their baggage, complete CBSA processing, and then continue to international departures.
Passengers also lose eligibility if their flight is cancelled or delayed and their layover exceeds 24 hours, or if they leave the designated international departure area. In these situations, they must report to CBSA for processing.
The Free Flow process builds on the International to International pilot project launched by CBSA at the same three airports in 2018. Under that earlier process, transiting passengers could bypass an in-person officer examination but still had to scan their passport at a dedicated kiosk.
The updated process removes the passport-scan step and allows other Canadian airports to apply to CBSA to adopt the same model.
CBSA announced the new process on June 26, 2026.
Source article: www.cicnews.com
