Will I need to go through Customs and Immigration during international connections?
 

Hey everyone. This March I have an international flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to London Heathrow.

I'm flying Air Canada Jazz from DFW to Toronto Pearson, and I'm flying Air Canada from YYZ to LHR. However, my layover in Toronto is only two hours or so.

Will I need to go through Customs and Immigration at YYZ after getting off my first flight?

Also, will I need to go through Passport Control and additional security screening before boarding my transatlantic connecting flight?

Last year, when I flew from DFW to Rome, I had a layover at LHR- where I went through Passport Control and a long security checkpoint. I don't know if my layover at YYZ will be the same.

This will be my first time transferring from one international flight to another. And with a two-hour layover, I better not miss my flight to London.

So how does the transfer process work for connections between international flights?

Should I go ahead with my scheduled itinerary?

Two hours should be plenty of time for that connection in YYZ. I just transited there 10 days ago. When approaching the immigration area tell the agent directing the flow of passengers that you are making an onward international connection. They take you to a separate line so you never enter Canada. It was incredibly quick and easy.

You'll go to "Customs B" for a quick document check. The queue is normally very short. You won't see your bags at all unless the officer pulls them for examination. Two hours should be more than sufficient unless something comes up.

If you're coming back on the reverse itinerary, LHR-YYZ-DFW, you will have to clear customs & immigration in YYZ.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

How many times? :)

For added assistance, I'll move this to the Travel->Toronto forum where many questions about Pearson Airport are posed. Ocn Vw 1K, Moderator, TravelBuzz.

Just once- but when we flew BA from LHR-YYZ and then connected to US-bound flights, the agent at LHR told us our bags were checked to ORD (our first stop in the US). I asked him how that could be since we would clear customs and immigration into the US at YYZ. He said we could pick the bags up in ORD. He was wrong, of course. We got to YYZ, our bags were in the baggage claim area, and we re-checked them and got through all the paperwork done before getting on the plane to ORD, which then landed at the domestc terminal. It worked well since we'd bought duty-free scotch at LHR and that gave us a chance to pack it in the checked bags before traveling onwards.

It's strange to go through Canada from DFW to LHR when you can probably go non-stop or at least change in the US. Adding one more immigration/customs inspection adds opportunities for things to happen. On the positive side, if it snows in March in Toronto, the airport can handle it most of the time, unlike LHR.

According to Expedia, it would be cheaper for me to connect in Toronto. Booking a nonstop flight from DFW to LHR would be $1,000 USD more.:eek: And I couldn't find an itinerary that included a connection within the US- at least for the date that I needed to fly out.

Could I check my bags from DFW straight to LHR? Or will I have to collect my bags and recheck them at YYZ?

Could I check my bags from DFW straight to LHR? Or will I have to collect my bags and recheck them at YYZ?

AC will tag your bags to LHR. You won't need to collect them at YYZ. No worries!

What does Customs B entail? I have a similar situation (looking at MSP-YYZ-BCN) but I am inadmissible to Canada, so I'm concerned about connecting there. Are the agents at Customs B Canadian customs officials?? I'm wondering what they ask about, and I just want to make sure I don't actually need to enter Canada to get on my next flight.

Thanks!

You do need to enter Canada because the boarding lounge is inside security but there is no immigration/customs to cross to leave (except for US-bound flights). Therefore, if you are not admissible to Canada, you will not be able to access your flight. There is no area where flights are in a transit area outside immigration for overseas destinations. If you are in the boarding lounge, you are free to leave via the security exit and no one is going to stop you - so they stop you before you get there. I would hope.

Yes, they are with CBSA (Canadian equivalent of CBP).