Overnight transit through Canadian airport
- Thread starter SergeyDr
- Start date
The tripadvisor post is irrelevant.
You need to look at the government source. That's the only thing that matters.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/transit/eligibility.html
I did, a week ago, no response so far. I wrote to Montreal airport, they replied without clear answer and redirected me to border control. Border control forwarded me to IRCC, and i am still waiting for answer from them.
I would still defer to the links khp, scylla, and I posted from IRCC; they are more up-to-date.
It would be best to apply for a regular TRV, if you really wish to leave the airport, to be on the safe side.
IRCC explains that any kind of leaving the airport is not permitted under transit visas, including:
Well, might be true. Transit and visitor visa have the same application, the difference is in one checkbox, where it says transit, and the transit visa is free. And codes are V1 and VH1
Also i am not familiar with border crossing process in Canada. Is there any point after primary inspection where border officer will check a visa and will allow or not to enter?
Here it says that it will be Canada Customs Primary Inspection while transiting anyway
https://www.aircanada.com/se/en/aco/home/fly/at-the-airport/airport-information/montreal-airport/int-int.html
Once you appear at the customs entry point and tell them you are on a transit, they send you to a secondary inspection line where you are put back into the sterile area. You are not permitted to enter Canada. Leaving the airport's sterile area involves having CBSA check to see if you can enter Canada.
Actually they are completely different, there are much more rules for TWVP and the point you mention is written here, while in transit visa it is not written. That is also confused. And TWVP works for specific airports and airlines and US visas.....to many differences.
In some countries transit visa allows to leave airport and spend some time in hotel or city, that is why i decided to ask here about Canada. The difference usually about transit, that you fly A->B->C, where B is transit country, while visiting is when i would fly A->B->A.
But every country is different, so it is always better to check in advance
You can't leave the airport with a transit visa. "Spend some time in hotel or city" means visiting Canada. To visit Canada, you need a tourist visa.
I get that you don't like that answer, but I'm sorry, it's the answer.
I get that you don't like that answer, but I'm sorry, it's the answer.
Btw, have you explored the airports YUL / YYZ whether they have paying lounges? Usually, travelers can go there for meals, massage, sleep and shower. Is there other reason why you need to spend a hotel in the city? Also, many airports I traveled have shopping places (such as duty free shops, starbucks, food court, bakery, fashion boutique), smoking room and free wifi. You can spend some time window shopping.Good day everyone.
I planning to fly from EU to Caribbean islands. Currently one of the most suitable tickets are with Air Canada with overnight layover in Montreal airport (about 17 hours) in one way and also overnight layover in Toronto airport (about 24 hours) on return.
I must apply for transit visa, according to my citizenship.
Will it be possible to leave airport and have a night in a hotel in city?
If not, how will it be possible to spend such amount of time in the airport, as i couldn't find that restricted airside area is opened 24h? If it is closed during nighttime, i will be forced to leave it go through border control, right? So will i be allowed to pass it with transit visa?
In the internet there are a lot of confusion about that and embassy or visa center didn't give a clear answer
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Although of course currently many of these lounges and shops are not probably open due to COVID Also not sure lounges are open 24/7 anyway even in normal times but guess that can vary by airport.
As for a transit visa does seem odd that there is even a 48 hour condition given for other countries this would imply entry may be granted for upto 48 hours subject to any usual border inspection. Australia for example has a 72 hour transit visa where can leave the airport but must leave within 72 hours and suspect other countries have similar..
Also based on other posts on this forum getting a transit visa seems to be just as much of a challenge as getting a TRV so does not seem as though IRCC would dish these out to everyone without a full risk assessment much same as for a TRV.
Tend to agree with other members above though that without a clear definition from CBSA or IRCC that a transit visa allows temporary 48 hour entry that maybe a TRV is way to go.
All above pretty irrelevant anyway given even if it were allowed to leave the airport , currently due to COVID the moment leave airside would probably be required to 14 day quarantine so 48 hours anyway would obviously not cover
My PriorityPass app says that they are closed during night. Also in normal times usually it is allowed to go there at the day of departure and stay not more than 3-4 hours, depends how popular lounge is.
I am planning a trip in the end of January 2021. And even if this will be cancelled, i will try to rebook it one year ahead.
The longest time I spent in those lounges was 5-6 hours but never overnight. That said, during night time, I saw many passengers occupied several seats, laid down and slept. On the next day, you can do your shopping and go to the lounge (for shower, meal, etc.)
Sometimes the flight was 1-2 a.m., and I was able to go inside in the previous evening.
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I don't know about lounges but duty free shops definitely opened at least in YVR airport.
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