CANPASS - Private Aircraft: Telephone Reporting

The CANPASS - Private Aircraft program makes clearing customs easier for private aircraft owners and their passengers travelling to Canada from the United States.

Do you frequently travel to Canada directly from the United States on a small private aircraft? If so, the CANPASS - Private Aircraft program could be for you. The program allows you to access more airports and provides expedited clearances for low-risk, pre-screened air travellers. Aircraft approved under the program can land at any airport of entry (AOE) or CANPASS-only airport in Canada, at any time the facility is open for business.

How does it work?

The pilot must report the estimated time of arrival (ETA) by calling 1-888-CANPASS (1-888-226-7277) at least two hours, but no more than 48 hours, before flying into Canada. If the 1-888 service is not available, the pilot must call a telephone reporting centre (TRC). Long-distance charges will apply. The phone numbers of the TRCs are as follows:

Lansdowne: (613) 659-4576
Hamilton: (905) 679-2073
Windsor: (519) 967-4320
Victoria: (250) 363-0222

The pilot has to provide the TRC with the following information:

• ETA;
• aircraft licence or registration number;
• destination in Canada;
• the full name, date of birth, and citizenship of all persons on board;
• purpose of the trip and length of stay in Canada for non-residents;
• length of absence from Canada for Canadian residents;
• a declaration for each person aboard (provided by either the pilot or the individual); and
• updates to the original ETA if changes are greater than 30 minutes or if any other information has changed.

All travellers aboard must declare any personal goods they are importing, including firearms and weapons, and report currency and monetary instruments of a value equal to or greater than CAN$10,000. For more information, see Cross Border Currency Reporting. If duties or taxes are payable, the TRC officer will also get the traveller's mailing address and VISA or MasterCard number and expiry date.

Authorization holders can land at an AOE any time the site is open, regardless of the hours of business of the local customs office. In addition, they can use one of the designated CANPASS-only airports.

If a customs officer is not waiting to meet the aircraft when it arrives at the reported ETA or actual time of arrival (whichever is later), the pilot can proceed to the final destination.

The special landing privileges outlined above only apply where all persons aboard the aircraft are participants in the CANPASS program. If there is a traveller aboard who does not participate in the program, the pilot has to follow the procedures outlined under Telephone Reporting - General Aviation Aircraft.

More information

You can find more information about the program in the CANPASS - Private Aircraft brochure. If you have questions about telephone reporting for general aviation passages or need general information on the CANPASS programs, call the Border Information Service (BIS) toll free at 1-800-461-9999 from within Canada. If you are outside Canada, call (204) 983-3500 or (506) 636-5064. Long-distance charges will apply.