Dual citizenship travellers need a valid Canadian passport to re-enter Canada

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Travel advice and advisories by destination

Dual Canadian citizens can no longer travel to or transit through Canada by air with a non-Canadian passport. You need a valid Canadian passport to board your flight.

If your country needs you to enter and exit that country using a passport issued by its government, you will still need a valid Canadian passport to board your flight to Canada. Make sure to carry both passports when you travel. Find out more about why you must travel with a valid Canadian passport when travelling by air.

Canadian-American dual citizens

To fly to Canada, you need

either your valid U.S. passport or your valid Canadian passport
to meet the basic requirements to enter Canada

If you travel with just your valid U.S. passport, you

will need to carry identification that shows your Canadian citizenship
may be asked to go through immigration screening

Even though you only need one of your passports to enter Canada, you should travel with both. Having both passports makes travel between Canada and the United States easier. Your passports prove

your citizenships
that you have the right to enter Canada and the U.S. without immigration screening

Reason you must travel with a valid Canadian passport

Starting November 10, 2016, a new Government of Canada electronic system will verify that all passengers have an appropriate travel document before they can board a flight to Canada. This process will happen automatically when your travel document is scanned during check-in for your flight.

This change is part of a broader Government of Canada initiative aimed at ensuring that all Canada-bound passengers have appropriate travel documents to enter the country before they board their flight.

For Canadian citizens, including dual Canadian citizens, you must present an acceptable travel document that shows that you are a Canadian. This means you need a valid Canadian passport (or a Canadian temporary passport, or a Canadian emergency travel document) to allow airline check-in staff and border officials to confirm that you are Canadian.

A valid Canadian passport is the only reliable and universally accepted travel document that provides proof that you are a citizen and have the right to enter Canada without being subjected to immigration screening. Make sure that the expiry date of the passport is well beyond your planned return date.

Are you a dual Canadian citizen flying to Canada without a valid Canadian passport?

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