Three Canadian airports allow transiting international passengers to skip border control

Many international travellers are now permitted to skip border security when transiting through major airports in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.

Transiting international passengers can proceed directly to international departures after landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport (Terminal 1), Vancouver International Airport, or Montréal Pierre Elliott-Trudeau International Airport, with no need to meet with a border officer or check in at a kiosk.

To be exempt from border control, a passenger must hold a confirmed airline ticket for an international flight departing from Canada within 24 hours of their arrival, and must remain in the airport’s designated international departure zone until boarding their next flight.

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The exemption from border security has been put in place under Canada Border Services Agency’s new Free Flow International-to-International Transit process.

Other airports across Canada now have the option to apply to CBSA to adopt the process.

The CBSA announced the new streamlined process in a news release issued on June 26, 2026.

Foreign nationals entering Canada must be admissible to the country. Those with a criminal record may be denied entry.

How the new process works

All passengers are required to carry the applicable visas and travel documentation for their final destination, including a Transit Visa or an electronic travel authorization (when applicable).

Same-day connecting travellers whose baggage is transferred automatically qualify for the Free Flow process and will be directed to the international departure area.

The new process relies on airlines collecting and sharing passenger flight information with the CBSA, including final destination and scheduled departure time.

Individuals transiting through Canada on their way to the U.S. can go directly to the Canadian airport’s U.S. connection area, where they (and their baggage) will be “re-screened for security” and processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Travellers no longer qualify for the Free Flow process if their flight is cancelled or delayed and their layover exceeds 24 hours, or if they leave the airport’s designated international departure area. In these cases, they must report to the CBSA for processing.

Free Flow does not apply when baggage is not transferred automatically or the onward flight is not scheduled for the same day. In these cases, travellers must collect their baggage and complete CBSA processing before proceeding to international departures.

The new process builds on the International to International (ITI) pilot project the CBSA launched at the same three airports in 2018, under which transiting international passengers could bypass an in-person officer examination by scanning their passport at a dedicated kiosk.

The latest changes, which had been circulated in draft form by the government in November 2025, have removed the need for the passport scan, and have also enabled the border control exemption to be extended to other participating airports across Canada.

"We are working with our airport partners to provide a simpler and more efficient process for travellers to get to their international destinations without delay," said Rob Chambers, Vice President of the Travellers Branch at the CBSA.

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