The Free App That Lets Travelers Clear the Canadian Border Faster

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The free app that lets travelers clear the Canadian border faster

A couple of weeks ago I was cruising through Toronto Pearson airport (YYZ) chasing my two-year-old when the sign above caught my eye. I quickly snapped a pic so I would remember to look into it on the plane, which I did. Sure enough, CanBorder – eDeclaration is a must-download for Canadian citizens and all of those visiting Canada. It’s basically the country’s version of the U.S.’s Mobile Passport app, which I wrote about here.

The Canadians are improving their border experience, and this app is the latest step in that effort. Travelers no longer need to scramble to handwrite a declaration card upon landing; instead, they can use kiosks (at least at YYZ). And now, for an even faster experience at the Canadian border, they can download the free CanBorder – eDeclaration mobile app for Android, iOS and Blackberry (in true Canadian fashion).

With it, you can:

Create and store traveler profiles.
Prepare your declaration in advance and generate a quick response (QR) code.
Upon arrival, immediately scan your QR code at a Primary Inspection Kiosk. Do not select a language. For easy QR code scanning, follow the on-screen instructions on the kiosk.

Here’s who can use it:

Most travelers arriving in Canada by air, including returning residents and all foreign nationals visiting Canada.
Ineligible travelers include unaccompanied minors and travelers with non-machine readable travel documents.

eDeclaration can only be used at Canadian airports where Primary Inspection Kiosks are available. Here’s the list of eligible ports so far: