Canada ends in-person customs checks for some international airport connections
Canada is removing an in-person customs step for some international airport connections, a change that could shorten the process for passengers traveling from one international destination to another through participating Canadian airports.
The Canada Border Services Agency announced the change on June 26, 2026. Under the new transit process, eligible connecting passengers no longer need to meet a border officer or check in at a kiosk during the connection process.
The change does not eliminate the documentation requirements for international travel. Passengers must still carry the visas and travel documents required for their final destination. They must also have a confirmed international flight departing Canada within 24 hours of arriving.
Who the change affects
The policy is aimed at passengers whose journey begins in one international destination and continues to another international destination, with a connection at a participating airport in Canada.
That means the process is designed for international-to-international transit. It does not apply to every passenger traveling through Canada, and the announcement does not establish that all Canadian airports have adopted the arrangement.
Eligibility may depend on the passenger’s route, airline, documentation and the operating procedures at the airport. The CBSA announcement did not list every participating airport in the information supplied for this report.
What remains required
Passengers using the streamlined connection process still need to meet the entry or transit requirements of their final destination. The Canadian change should not be understood as permission to travel without a valid passport, visa or other required document.
The 24-hour condition is also central to the policy. A traveler must hold a confirmed international flight leaving Canada no later than 24 hours after arrival. An onward itinerary outside that window does not meet the stated requirement.
Travelers should therefore verify the rules that apply to their specific route before relying on the new process. The International Air Transport Association’s Travel Centre maintains a database of passport, visa and health requirements drawn from official sources, but travelers must still confirm that their documents match their itinerary.
Why it matters for connecting passengers
Removing the requirement to meet a border officer or use a kiosk could make eligible connections quicker and simpler. For passengers moving between two international flights, the practical effect is a change in how the Canadian connection is processed rather than a broad waiver of border or destination-control requirements.
The distinction matters because passengers remain responsible for the rules governing their final destination. The new process may reduce an airport procedure in Canada, but it does not change the need to present the correct travel documents or to satisfy the conditions attached to the itinerary.
The announcement also leaves an important operational question for travelers: whether a particular airport, airline and route are covered. Passengers planning a connection should check those details before departure and allow for the procedures specified by the carrier and airport.
What happens next
The known next step is verification by travelers and carriers of route-specific eligibility, participating-airport coverage and documentation requirements. The CBSA has announced the policy, but the supplied announcement does not provide a complete airport list or describe a separate implementation deadline.
For now, the clearest limits are the same ones that define the change: it concerns international transit through participating Canadian airports, requires a confirmed onward international flight within 24 hours, and does not remove visa, passport or other final-destination requirements.
Sources
- The CBSA is making it quicker and easier for international travellers to catch connecting flights at Canadian airports, Canada Border Services Agency
- Canada simplifies international airport connections, Canada Newswire
- IATA Travel Centre: passport, visa and health requirements, International Air Transport Association
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