New rule for Canadians flying to Canada

Fête du Raisin – Féchy
20 October 2016
Hockey Night in Switzerland
30 January 2017
Fête du Raisin – Féchy
20 October 2016
Hockey Night in Switzerland
30 January 2017

New rule for Canadians flying to Canada

Dear Canadians,

Since November 10, 2016, Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, need a valid Canadian passport to fly to or transit through Canada.

In order to facilitate the travel of dual Canadian citizens who do not currently have a valid Canadian passport, a short-term measure is available to dual Canadian citizens whose second citizenship is from a visa-exempt country. These dual citizens can apply for a special authorization that will let them board their flight to Canada using their valid non-Canadian passport.

This short-term measure, which will be available until January 31, 2017, is open to dual citizens who have an imminent flight to Canada (leaving in less than ten days) and whose Canadian citizenship can be verified by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). If approved, the authorization will be valid for four days from the date of travel indicated in the application. Those not eligible for the authorization must contact the nearest Government of Canada office abroad to obtain the appropriate travel document.

More information about how to apply for a passport or for the special authorization can be found at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/dual-canadian-citizens.asp.

Canadian permanent residents cannot apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) and must show their valid permanent resident card or obtain a permanent resident travel document from the nearest Government of Canada office abroad when returning to Canada by air. For non-Canadians, applying for an eTA is a simple online process. The Government of Canada website, Canada.ca/eTA, is the only valid site where travellers can apply for an eTA.

We encourage you to stay connected with the latest travel advice and advisories, via the web at http://travel.gc.ca, our mobile Travel Smart application, available at http://travel.gc.ca/mobile, and our RSS feeds at http://travel.gc.ca/rss. You may also follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/travelGoC or https://twitter.com/CanSwitzerland and find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/travelGoC.

If you have already left and are no longer in Switzerland or if your contact information is no longer valid, please make the changes directly online (http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration).

If you require emergency consular assistance, please contact the Embassy of Canada in Switzerland  at +41 (0) 31 357 3200. If after hours follow the instructions provided on the recording and your call will be forwarded to the Emergency Watch and Response Centre at Global Affairs Canada (24 hours a day, seven days a week).  Toll free number from Switzerland 00-800-2326-6831