CANPASS: 4. After you apply (terms of use)

Terms of use

Corporate and private aircraft that meet the requirements of the CANPASS program can land at any airport of entry any time the site is open, regardless of the hours of operation of the local CBSA office. The aircraft can also land at a designated CANPASS-only airport.

To have CANPASS privileges, the aircraft may not carry more than 15 people (including the crew). The pilot cannot charge passengers a fee for passage.

Pilot responsibilities

When using CANPASS, the pilot must:

• ensure that all passengers have the appropriate travel documents for entering Canada
• report all passengers (including themselves) and their goods on behalf of the aircraft
• remove inadmissible passengers
• any associated administrative and medical expenses and fees

The pilot must remain at the point of arrival until the ETA reported to the Telephone Reporting Centre has elapsed. No second call to the reporting centre is required. If there is no officer waiting to meet the aircraft when it arrives at the reported ETA or actual time of arrival, whichever is later, the aircraft may proceed to the final destination and passengers may disembark.

Note: Any contraventions of the legislation may result in detention, seizure or forfeiture of the conveyance, criminal prosecution, monetary penalties and/or imprisonment.

Declaring goods

The pilot declares the personal goods each individual passenger is bringing into Canada on their behalf.

Each individual is ultimately responsible for complying with customs and immigration legislation.

If duties or taxes are payable, the border services officer at the Telephone Reporting Centre will ask for the traveller's mailing address and Visa or MasterCard number and expiry date.

More information

• Restricted and prohibited goods
• Travelling with CAN$10,000 or more? Declare it

Penalties

Your membership may be revoked or suspended if you fail to comply with the requirements and procedures of the CANPASS Program. This includes non-compliance with customs and immigration legislation, or any other related laws the CBSA administers and enforces.

Depending on the severity of the violation, the CBSA can impose penalties, remove non-residents, and seize any goods and any aircraft used to carry the goods. As well, you may be subject to criminal prosecution.

Privacy

Once an applicant has completed and signed the CANPASS application form, the CBSA is authorized to collect personal information such as name, date of birth, address, citizenship, proof of citizenship and residency information.

The information will be used for background security checks and is not shared with a third party. All information is stored in a secure central database, which in turn is protected by various methods, including firewalls. Access to client information by employees is also controlled and monitored.

All personal information provided is protected under the federal Privacy Act.

Security measures

Participation in the CANPASS Program is restricted to pre-approved travellers. Applicants undergo a detailed security clearance check before being enrolled. Every time CANPASS members enter Canada, their membership information is verified against customs and immigration databases to ensure their compliance with the program's regulations. Each member's eligibility is re-assessed annually.