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Multi-leg flight into Canada: immigration happens at your first Canadian airport, members explain

Canada • Study Permit • study 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Step-by-Step

A traveller flying Mumbai → Frankfurt → Montreal → Toronto asked which airport to list as the arrival airport and which flight to reference. What the thread established:

  1. Your first Canadian airport is where Canada 'happens'. Immigration formalities take place at Montreal — the first port of entry — not Toronto. So for arrival declarations (the thread discussed ArriveCan), members concluded the arrival airport is Montreal, with the Frankfurt→Montreal flight's number and date. (Historical note: ArriveCan was a COVID-era requirement and is no longer mandatory for entry; the first-port-of-entry principle for immigration still applies.)

  2. Baggage: where your airline's through-check ends. One member's rule of thumb was "collect where your flight ends"; the exchange about whether bags could be collected in Toronto versus Montreal was left somewhat contradictory. Whether bags are checked through to the final city or must be picked up at the first port depends on the airline and ticketing — confirm with the carrier before flying.

  3. Watch for disruptions. The thread happened around an airport strike that was called off — worth checking operational news for your connection airport close to departure.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Do: List your first Canadian airport (and the flight arriving into it) on arrival declarations — that's where you clear immigration.
  • Tip: Ask your airline whether checked bags go through to your final Canadian city or must be collected at the first port of entry — practices differ.

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