Dual citizens must use Canadian passport to enter Canada

IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? Beginning Nov. 10, dual citizens must use their Canadian passport to enter Canada by air, or they may be denied boarding or entry.

What does the change mean? Dual citizens should make sure their Canadian passports are up to date, as they will no longer be able to rely on the visa-waiver status of their other citizenship to enter Canada.

• Implementation time frame:  Nov. 10.
• Visas/permits affected: Entry visas.
• Who is affected: Canadian dual citizens.
• Business impact: Canadian nationals who have dual citizenship with a country that is visa-waived should be aware of the change before traveling to Canada.

Background: Canada has introduced the electronic travel document, or eTA, which becomes mandatory Nov. 10. After that date, Canadian dual citizens must use their Canadian passport to enter Canada by air. This is because Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, are not eligible to apply for the eTA as it is a screening system for foreign nationals.

The only other acceptable documents for dual citizens to enter Canada are a Canadian temporary passport or a Canadian emergency travel document.

BAL Analysis: To avoid the risk of being denied entry, Canadian dual citizens should make sure to travel with a valid Canadian passport to enter the country.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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