If you are not a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident and you don’t have a Work Permit or Study Permit in order to board a flight to Canada, you must have
• have written authorization from the Government of Canada to fly to Canada
Reuniting with family in Canada
o To get the authorization, email IRCC at IRCC.COVID-TravelExemptions-Exemptionsdevoyage-COVID.IRCC@cic.gc.ca. We’ll contact you within 48 hours of getting your email and tell you what to do next.
o You can also contact the nearest Government of Canada office abroad to request an authorization.
To be eligible to travel to Canada, you need
• a written authorization from IRCC confirming that you are exempt from the travel restrictions
• a valid visitor visa (if you’re from a country whose nationals require a visa) or an eTA (if you’re from a country whose nationals are visa-exempt)
• a valid passport
• to tell the airline that you’re exempt from the travel restrictions
• to show a consular or immigration officer that you’re coming for an essential purpose, such as to live with your spouse, partner or parent
o You’ll be refused an authorization if an officer finds that you’re travelling for an optional or non-essential purpose, such as for tourism, entertainment or recreation.
• to have your health checked by airline officials to confirm that you don’t have symptoms of COVID‑19, including a fever, a cough and difficulty breathing
o Anyone showing symptoms will not be allowed to board.
If you don’t have written authorization, you won’t be allowed to board your flight to Canada, even if you have a valid visitor visa or eTA.
