Passport - Travel documents

This section contains all the information you need to ensure you have the proper documents for travelling.

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Using our tool below, you can now:

  • Apply for eVisa (eTA, ESTA, etc.) in the "Visa requirements" section.
  • Check your passeport validity in the "Documents required" section.
 

We also invite you to read the legal notice.

International flights

All passengers, regardless of nationality and destination, must check with their travel agent or the consulate of the country they are visiting to verify the most up-to-date entry requirements.

In compliance with the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) implemented in most countries, the following information is collected on all flights:

  • Complete name (as recorded in your official travel document)
  • Date of birth
  • Citizenship
  • Gender
  • Travel document number
  • Travel document expiry date
  • Complete destination address (for travel to the U.S. only)

Air Transat also operates in full compliance with the Secure Flight Program requirements.

To ensure problem-free travel, we strongly recommend that ALL passengers travel with a valid passport (even for those destinations where proof of citizenship/photo identification is an acceptable alternative).

 

Domestic flights

When travelling within Canada, passengers are subject to Secure Air Travel Regulations, which require air carriers to verify the identity of all passengers who appear to be 18 years of age or older, before allowing them to board the aircraft.

We accept only the following documents to verify the identity of a passenger for a domestic flight:

  • One (1) piece of valid Canadian or provincial government-issued PHOTO identification showing the passenger’s name, date of birth.
    OR
  • Two (2) pieces of valid Canadian or provincial government-issued ID that do not include photographs, one of which shows the passenger’s name, date of birth.
    OR
  • Identification card issued by a Canadian Indigenous self-government
    OR
  • Asylum and refugee claimant documents issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
For passengers younger than 18, an original birth certificate or non-government-issued identification is recommended but not mandatory.
 
Electronic versions/images are not accepted. Photocopies must be notarized.
 

These documentation requirements are specifically for the Passenger Protect Program and DO NOT replace the entry requirements of your destination country for international travel. It is your responsibility to obtain all documents – including those for infants and children – required by relevant government authorities of the country you’re visiting

For more information, please visit the following web sites:

Foreign Affairs Canada – Country Travel Reports
Embassy offices and consulates around the world
Public Safety Canada

Entry requirements for Canada have changed. Find out if they apply to you.

In addition to your valid passport, you will also need:

  • a valid Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)*, or;
  • a valid visa, or;
  • a valid Permanent Resident Card (PRC)
*It is mandatory for travellers without a valid Canadian passport, Permanent Resident Card (PRC) or visa to obtain an eTA from the Government of Canada.

This entry requirement is for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air.

This document will be required at check-in, along with a valid passport.

Holders of a valid Canadian passport, Canadian Permanent Resident Card (PRC) or Canadian visa, as well as U.S. citizens, are ineligible for an eTA and must present their original documents for travel.

How to apply?

Travelers must apply for eTA before travelling to Canada:

  1. via the "Visa Requirements" section of our Travel and Visa Requirements tool. 
  2. via the official Government of Canada website by completing the online form at Canada.ca/eta  Will open in a separate browser window .

Solo parent/guardian/friend/alone – letter of authorization for minor travel

Documentation

Minors must carry proper identification such as a birth certificate, passport, citizenship card, permanent resident card or Certificate of Indian Status. Please consult your travel agent/destination country consulate for up-to-date documentation requirements.

For any destination, it is strongly recommended that children under the age of 18 carry a consent letter signed by both parents/legal guardian for each and every trip if they travel with only one parent, alone, or with other persons. The letter should include addresses and telephone numbers where the parents or guardian can be reached. Divorced or separated parents should carry custody or legal separation documents and/or a letter of authorization to facilitate their entry into Canada.

The following are known requirements for minor travellers (subject to change without notice; please consult your travel agent/consulate on current regulations for the destination country):

All persons under the age of 18 who are visa nationals and are travelling to the United Kingdom as visitors require a "Child Visitor" visa.

For more information, please contact your travel agent or visit the UK Border Agency website.

Minors under 18 years of age - exiting the Dominican Republic alone OR exiting the Dominican Republic accompanied by a different person than with whom they entered.

To be accepted for travel, the minor requires a consent letter, notarized and translated into Spanish to EXIT the Dominican Republic. This letter of consent must be from both parents, the other parent if the child is travelling with only one (their legal guardian or custodial parent) and must authorize the travel and note the destinations and travel dates. If arranged in Canada, this letter needs to be notarized by the closest Dominican Embassy or consulate to the parent’s or guardian's place of residence and translated into Spanish. The translation or notarization can also be done in the Dominican Republic.

Minors under 18 years of age travelling with anyone other than both parents

When a minor under 18 is travelling with anyone other than both parents, a letter from the absent parent is required. This does not have to be notarized and must be presented for entry and exit. For more information, visit Government of Canada's website.

Effective January 15, 2017, a minor (under age 18) residing in France (including the French West Indies) who’s not accompanied by a parent or a person exercising parental authority will not be allowed to leave the country without an authorization called Autorisation de sortie du territoire (AST).
 
To travel to Canada, the minor must have the following documents:
 
1. A valid passport

2. An AST signed by a parent or a person exercising parental authority

3. A photocopy of the Identity Card or passport of the signatory parent (must be valid or expired for less than 5 years)
 
For more details on AST and to download the form, visit the official website of the French administration  Will open in a separate browser window  (French only).
 
An eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) and applicable visas are also required to travel to Canada.  


For minors (ages 5 through 14 inclusively) travelling from Italy to Canada with an Italian passport AND who are travelling alone.

To be accepted for travel, an affidavit of authorization, signed by the parent(s) or legal guardian, and bearing the seal of the Italian Police within their municipality, must be presented at check-in. Passengers without this affidavit will be refused at check-in. Parents residing abroad may obtain this authorization via the Italian Embassy or Consulate.

For more information, please visit http://poliziadistato.it/articolo/191/

Effective July 17, 2019, Spanish citizens under 18 years of age and travelling alone out of the European  territory  must  hold  a  special  authorization  issued  at  a  local  Spanish  police  station, local town hall or notary’s office. The document must bear an official stamp from the relevant  authority  and  be  signed  by  both  parents  or  legal  guardian/custodial  parent(s).  The document must also indicate the destination(s) and travel dates.

Transiting without visa may be permitted when specific conditions are met. It is available at the following airports: Amsterdam, Athens, Brussels, Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, and Rome.

Transiting without visa is not permitted at any other airport.

Important to know
  • The United Kingdom is not part of transiting without visa procedures as transit visas are issued locally.
  • E-ticket is the valid document for travel. An unconfirmed reservation is not valid for transiting without visa.
  • Should a Permanent Resident Card be requested for transiting without visa, please ensure it is valid.
  • The passenger must remain in the international area of the airport (must not have to go through customs and formally enter the country).
  • No checked baggage is allowed, only one carry-on baggage and one personal item in the cabin.

Consult your travel agent and/or the local consulate for complete details.

Flights to the U.S.

When travelling to the U.S. you are required to provide the full street address (including zip code) where you will be staying. If you are connecting to a cruise ship, you must provide the name of the cruise ship and the city/state of point of embarkation. To expedite processing, please be prepared to provide this information during check-in.

Flights to/from the U.S

In addition to the (APIS) requirement, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires all travellers to carry a valid passport or other appropriate secure document when travelling to/from the USA from within the western hemisphere by air. For more information, please visit CBP.gov and Canada Border Services Agency.

Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Passengers must be in possession of roundtrip tickets. All VWP travellers, regardless of age or type of passport used, must present machine-readable passports. For more information, please visit travel.state.gov.

Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

ESTA is a fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel to the U.S., and VWP travellers are encouraged to apply for authorization as soon as they begin to plan their trip. For more information, please visit Securing America’s Borders.

You can now apply for an ESTA with the tool above.

Air Transat Customer Service and Contingency Plans

In compliance with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Air Transat has developed the Air Transat Customer Service Plan and Air Transat Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays at U.S. Airports. The information included in these documents pertains only to travellers on flights arriving and departing the U.S.

TSA Cares Initiative for Passengers Travelling to/from the U.S.

TSA Cares serves as an additional, dedicated resource for passengers with disabilities, medical conditions or other circumstances, or their loved ones, who want to prepare for the screening process prior to flying. For more information, please visit Transportation Security Administration.

While we make every effort to ensure that the information we provide on our web site is correct and up-to-date, we make no guarantees about the accuracy of the information provided. Passengers are responsible for providing the correct documentation for their destination. Passengers holding insufficient or incorrect documentation will be denied boarding.

Air Transat reserves the right to refuse transportation of passengers for the following reasons. The passenger:

  • Lacks proper documentation for the country of destination
  • Has a contagious disease
  • Is under the influence of alcohol, drugs or narcotics
  • Manifests disruptive and/or unruly behaviour

Important to know:

  • No refund or replacement is given for interrupted travel due to lost or stolen travel documents.
  • Where possible, tourist cards and/or custom declaration cards are distributed on board Air Transat flights or by your travel agent/tour operator.

Cruise passengers must present a valid passport, regardless of the entry requirements for their country of embarkation.

Travel tip


To get information regarding passports and all necessary visas, please visit the Government of the United Kingdom’s travel website.

To ensure problem-free travel, we strongly recommend that ALL passengers travel with a valid passport (even for those destinations where proof of citizenship/photo identification is an acceptable alternative).


Legal notice: Our tool provides information on the entry requirements of your destination country as a guide only. The information provided by this tool does not substitute the information provided by the government and other relevant authorities. We strongly recommend that you verify the entry requirements applicable to your destination and personal situation before travelling by regularly consulting the Canadian government website https://travel.gc.ca/ and the official website of the destination and/or transit country.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you and any person (including children) travelling with you have the necessary valid travel documents (such as passport, visa, vaccination certificate, travel exemption, insurance certificate, etc.) to enter, transit or exit all countries or regions on your itinerary, as well as to enter or exit Canada; and to verify the requirements and obligations that you or any person travelling with you may have (such as quarantine, testing or other) to enter, transit through or exit all countries or regions of your itinerary, as well as to enter or exit Canada.

Air Transat is not responsible for the completeness or accuracy of the information provided by this tool. Air Transat is not responsible for any assistance or information provided here or by its employees or agents regarding entry or transit requirements or compliance with laws, whether such assistance or information is provided verbally, in writing or by any other means. Air Transat is also not responsible for any consequences of any kind (damages, losses, costs, expenses, etc.) suffered by any customer who does not have the required documents and does not comply with the applicable laws, whether resulting from the information provided on this page or its use.

Air Transat or the appropriate authorities may deny you boarding if you do not have the required documents, without recourse or possibility of reimbursement. You may also be refused entry into a country even though you have the required travel documents.

The final decision on whether to enter or transit a country rests with the government and officials of the country to which you are travelling. We therefore recommend that you consult the IATA Travel Centre before your trip.

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