Travelling to Canada: eTA vs Visa, Airport Entry, Customs Rules and Your First Week

Travel to Canada starts long before the aircraft doors close: the right entry document linked to your passport, a folder of papers the border officer may ask for, and a plan for the first seven days on the ground. This guide explains the difference between an eTA and a visitor visa, which documents to carry on the plane, how flights from Amman and the Gulf connect to Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver, what happens at the Primary Inspection Kiosk and with the CBSA officer, the customs rules on money and food, and how to set up your phone, bank account, SIN and health card in your first week. It is written for travellers from Jordan and the Arab world, whether you are visiting family, starting a study programme or landing as a new permanent resident.

The information reflects IRCC and CBSA rules as published for 2026 and the daily experience of VisaPres, an immigration consultancy in Amman that prepares visitors, students, workers and new permanent residents from across the region for their journey.

Before you book: do you need a Canada visa or an eTA?

Canada's entry documents depend on your nationality, how you travel and why. Visa-exempt nationals who fly to Canada apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for CAD 7; it is linked electronically to the passport and usually approved within minutes, although some requests take days. Visa-required nationals, which includes citizens of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and most of North Africa, need a visitor visa (TRV) counterfoil placed in the passport before departure. Students and workers receive a visa or eTA automatically with their permit approval, and new permanent residents travel on a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) plus a PR visa.

Two rules catch people out. First, the eTA and the TRV are tied to a specific passport number: renew your passport and you must apply again. Second, a visa gives you the right to seek entry, not a right to enter; the CBSA officer at the airport makes the final decision and sets how long you may stay. If you have not yet applied, start with our Canada visitor visa guide and the step-by-step guide to applying from Jordan, and confirm your category on the official IRCC eTA page.

Documents to carry on the plane (not in checked luggage)

Everything below belongs in your hand luggage, ideally in one folder, with digital copies on your phone. Airlines check the visa before boarding, and the CBSA officer can ask for any of it on arrival. Checked bags are occasionally delayed, and a missing document at the kiosk costs far more stress than a slightly heavier carry-on.

• Passport valid for the whole trip, with the TRV counterfoil or the eTA approval email (same passport number)
• Printed or digital copy of the IRCC approval letter (visa, study permit, work permit or COPR)
• Port-of-entry letter of introduction if your study or work permit is to be issued at the airport
• Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and PR visa for new permanent residents
• Return or onward ticket and full itinerary for visitors
• Invitation letter with the host's name, status in Canada, address and phone number
• Proof of funds: recent bank statement, credit card, or proof of prepaid accommodation
• Accommodation details: hotel booking or the address where you will stay
• Letter of acceptance, tuition receipt and proof of funds for students; job offer and employer contact for workers
• Travel and health insurance certificate (mandatory for super visa holders)
• Vaccination records and school records for children who are settling in Canada
• Consent letter from the non-travelling parent for a minor travelling with one parent or alone
• Prescriptions in original packaging with a doctor's letter for medication
• A list of goods to follow (shipped later) for new residents, plus receipts for valuable items

Flights to Canada from Amman and the Gulf: routes to Toronto, Montréal and Vancouver

There is no direct flight between Amman and Canada, so every journey from Jordan involves at least one connection. The most practical hubs are Istanbul, Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi to the east, and Frankfurt, Paris and London to the west. Total journey times of 16 to 22 hours are normal, and the choice of hub affects whether you need a transit visa, how long the layover is and which Canadian airport you reach. Canada's main international gateways are Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Montréal-Trudeau (YUL), Vancouver (YVR) and Calgary (YYC).

• Clear immigration and customs at the first Canadian airport. If you land in Toronto and connect to Ottawa, you complete immigration and customs in Toronto, collect your bags and re-check them for the domestic leg. Leave at least 2 to 3 hours between flights.
• Check transit rules for your hub. Gulf and Istanbul connections are usually airside with no transit visa, but a long layover that requires leaving the airport may need one. European hubs may require a Schengen or UK transit visa for some passports.
• Book the return ticket before applying for a visitor visa, but keep it flexible. The CBSA officer may ask when you are leaving; an open-ended trip invites more questions.
• Arrive on a weekday morning if you can. Service Canada offices and banks are open, so new residents can start the first-week tasks on the same day.

Health, insurance and travelling to Canada with children

Canada does not require routine vaccinations for entry, and the ArriveCAN app has not been mandatory since October 2022, although you can still use it for an optional Advance CBSA Declaration up to 72 hours before landing at major airports. Health care is the bigger issue: visitors are not covered by provincial health plans, and a single emergency room visit can cost thousands of dollars. Buy travel health insurance for the entire stay; super visa applicants must hold Canadian medical insurance of at least CAD 100,000 as a condition of the visa. New permanent residents and workers should also budget for private insurance until the provincial health card becomes active.

Consent letter and documents for minors

A child travelling with one parent, with relatives or alone should carry a signed consent letter from the non-travelling parent or parents, with a copy of their passport and contact details. CBSA officers ask about children regularly to prevent abduction and custody disputes. Carry the child's birth certificate (translated if it is in Arabic) and, if the parents are divorced, the custody order. Children settling in Canada should bring vaccination records and recent school reports, which schools request at enrolment.

• Bring medication in original packaging with a doctor's letter in English or French; a 90-day personal supply is generally acceptable.
• If you or a family member will stay 6 months or more and come from a designated country, an immigration medical exam may already have been part of the visa process; keep the panel physician's receipt.
• Infant formula and baby food for the journey are allowed, but declare them on the customs card like all food.

Arrival in Canada: Primary Inspection Kiosk, CBSA questions and how to answer them

Arrival at a major Canadian airport follows a predictable sequence. First you are directed to the Primary Inspection Kiosks or eGates, where you scan your passport, take a photo and answer customs questions on screen. The kiosk prints a receipt that you hand to a CBSA officer, who asks a few questions and either admits you or refers you to secondary inspection. Visitors are then free to collect baggage; students, workers and new permanent residents are sent to the immigration office to have permits printed or PR landing completed.

Canada customs declaration: money, food, plants, gifts and duty-free

Canadian customs rules apply to everyone, including visitors, and most problems at the border come from honest travellers who did not know they had to declare something. The guiding principle is simple: if in doubt, declare it. Declared items that turn out to be allowed are returned to you; undeclared items can be seized, and food violations can bring fines and a record that affects future trips.

• Currency of CAD 10,000 or more. Cash, cheques, bank drafts and gold coins count together, in any currency. You may bring any amount, but failing to declare CAD 10,000 or more can lead to seizure. New residents bringing settlement funds should declare them and carry bank proof of the source.
• All food, plants and animal products. Many meats, dairy products, fresh fruit, seeds, soil and plants are restricted or banned. Home-made cheese, zaatar with seeds, dates with pits, cured meats and pastries with meat filling are frequent problems. Commercially packaged dry goods are usually fine but must still be declared.
• Gifts. Gifts worth more than CAD 60 each are subject to duty and taxes. Receipts help officers assess value quickly.
• Alcohol and tobacco. Limited duty-free allowances apply to adults; quantities above the allowance are taxed.
• Prohibited items. Weapons, replica firearms, pepper spray, certain knives and many counterfeit branded goods are prohibited. Cultural items such as ivory or coral may need permits.
• Goods to follow. Permanent residents may import personal effects duty-free on first landing, including items shipped later, but only if they are listed on a goods-to-follow form at the time of entry.

Port-of-entry letters: activating study permits, work permits and PR landing at the airport

If IRCC approved your study permit or work permit abroad, you did not receive the permit itself, only a letter of introduction (the port-of-entry letter) and the visa or eTA. The actual permit is printed by CBSA when you arrive. Tell the officer at primary inspection that you have a permit to be issued, and you will be sent to the immigration office. The officer verifies the letter, may ask about your programme or employer, checks your funds and prints the permit with its conditions and expiry date.

• Students: carry the Letter of Acceptance from your DLI, the Provincial Attestation Letter if one was required, proof of tuition payment and proof of funds. Your study permit normally runs for the programme length plus 90 days. Read our study permit guide for conditions such as the 24-hour weekly limit on off-campus work.
• Workers: carry the job offer, the LMIA number or offer of employment number, and the employer's contact details. Check the employer name, occupation and location printed on an employer-specific permit; errors are far easier to fix at the airport than later. Our work permit guide explains open versus employer-specific permits.
• New permanent residents: present the COPR and PR visa. The officer confirms your details, asks about dependants, records the Canadian address where the PR card will be mailed and signs the COPR. Keep the signed copy; it is your proof of PR until the card arrives, which can take a few months. Our complete guide to immigration to Canada covers the residency obligation that starts on landing day.
• Accompanying spouses and children: each family member needs their own letter, visa or eTA; a spouse's open work permit or a child's study permit is issued at the same counter.

Your first week in Canada: SIM, bank account, SIN, health card, housing and winter

The order matters, because several services depend on each other: a SIN needs your permit or COPR, a bank account is easier with a SIN and an address, and a provincial health card needs proof of residence. Below is the sequence that works for most newcomers; visitors only need the first item.

1. Phone and SIM (day 1): prepaid plans are available at airports and malls. Canadian mobile plans are expensive by regional standards; compare providers and consider a cheaper flanker brand. Keep your Jordanian number active on roaming for bank verification codes for a few weeks.
2. Social Insurance Number (days 1 to 3): if you hold a work permit, study permit or PR, apply for the SIN at a Service Canada office with your passport and permit or COPR; it is usually issued on the spot. You need it to work, open some accounts and file taxes. Never share it casually.
3. Bank account (days 2 to 5): the major banks offer newcomer packages with no monthly fee for a period and a secured credit card to start building Canadian credit history. Bring your passport, permit or COPR, SIN and proof of address. Transfers from Jordan or the Gulf are easier if you declared your funds at the border.
4. Provincial health card (week 1): apply as soon as you have an address. Some provinces have a waiting period of up to 3 months before coverage begins, so keep private insurance until the card is active. Students are often covered by a university plan instead.
5. Housing (weeks 1 to 4): short-term rentals or family hosts bridge the gap while you search. Landlords ask for ID, proof of income or funds and sometimes a Canadian credit report, which newcomers do not have; offering a few months' rent in advance is common, but never pay before viewing the unit and signing a lease.
6. Transport: urban transit passes (PRESTO in Toronto, OPUS in Montréal, Compass in Vancouver) are far cheaper than taxis. If you plan to drive, check whether your Jordanian or Gulf licence can be exchanged; most provinces require a test after a grace period.
7. Winter clothing: January temperatures fall well below -20°C in many cities. Buy a properly insulated coat, boots with grip, gloves and a hat locally; Canadian winter gear is designed for the climate and often cheaper than imported equivalents.

Sample first-month budget for a newcomer by city

The ranges below are approximate and meant for planning only; housing in Toronto and Vancouver is substantially more expensive than in Montréal, Calgary or Ottawa, and prices move every year. Students must in any case show the IRCC living-expense amount (CAD 22,895 for a single applicant outside Quebec since September 2025) regardless of actual costs.

Cultural and practical tips for Arab travellers in Canada

Canada is one of the easiest countries for Arab visitors and newcomers to settle into, with large Arabic-speaking communities in the Greater Toronto Area (Mississauga and Scarborough), Montréal and Laval, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary and Windsor. Halal food, mosques, Arabic-speaking doctors and community associations exist in every major city. A few practical points make the first weeks smoother.

• Halal food and restaurants: halal butchers and Middle Eastern grocery stores are common in Mississauga, Montréal, Ottawa and Edmonton; many mainstream supermarkets stock halal meat. Check labels for pork-derived gelatine in sweets.
• Mosques and prayer: mosques and Islamic centres operate in all large cities; universities and major airports have multi-faith prayer rooms. Friday prayer times are published online.
• Tipping: 15 to 20% is expected in restaurants, taxis and hair salons; it is not optional in practice. Shelf prices exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
• Punctuality and queues: appointments and queues are taken seriously; arrive on time for Service Canada, bank and medical appointments or you may need to rebook.
• Language: English is used everywhere except Quebec, where French is the official language and many public services are in French. Montréal is largely bilingual; a few French phrases help with landlords and officials.
• Weather and driving: winter driving requires winter tyres (mandatory in Quebec between December and March) and respect for road conditions; public transport is reliable in the big cities.
• Family visits and status: if relatives are visiting you on a TRV, remind them to track the authorised stay and apply for a visitor record at least 30 days before it expires. See our family sponsorship guide if a visit may turn into a permanent move.

Common mistakes travellers make at the Canadian border

CBSA officers see the same errors every day, and most are avoidable. The following are the ones VisaPres hears about most often from clients in Jordan and the Gulf.

• Travelling on a renewed passport with the old visa. The TRV or eTA is linked to the passport it was issued in. If your passport was renewed, apply for a new visa, or carry both passports only if the old visa is still physically valid and IRCC's rules allow it; confirm first.
• Answers that contradict the visa application. Saying you will stay six months when the application said three weeks, or naming a different host, triggers secondary inspection. Review your original application before you fly.
• Undeclared food, plants or cash. The most common customs problem for Arab travellers; see the customs section above.
• Arriving without the port-of-entry letter or proof of funds. Students and workers can be delayed or, in serious cases, refused entry and returned. Keep paper copies.
• Forgetting the consent letter for a child. A missing letter can mean hours of questioning and calls to the other parent.
• Assuming a visa guarantees six months. The officer decides the authorised stay. If a date is written in your passport, that is your limit; overstaying affects future applications and can lead to a removal order.
• Carrying someone else's luggage or documents. You are responsible for everything in your bags, including gifts packed by relatives.
• Working or studying without the right permit. Visitors cannot work, and a six-month course needs a study permit. Changing status inside Canada is possible but must be done correctly; what happens after a refusal or removal is explained in our guide to visa refusals.

How VisaPres can help before you travel to Canada

VisaPres prepares travellers from Jordan and the Arab world for the whole journey, not only the visa. Before departure, Dr. Maher Al-Dairi, a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) with more than 25 years of experience, and his team review your approval documents, check that your passport and visa details match, assemble the airport folder and brief you on what CBSA officers will ask in your specific situation, whether you are a visitor, a student, a worker or a new permanent resident landing with family.

• Visa and eTA eligibility check for every passport in your family, including UAE, Moroccan and dual-national cases, through our global visa requirements service
• Visitor visa applications, invitation letters and proof-of-funds preparation via visitor visa legal assistance
• Pre-departure review of port-of-entry letters, COPR documents and goods-to-follow lists for students, workers and new permanent residents
• Certified legal translation of birth certificates, consent letters, custody orders and bank letters, accepted by 19 embassies
• Guidance on visitor records, extensions and status changes after arrival, and on what to do if you are refused entry
• Settlement orientation for the first week: SIN, banking, health card and housing in Toronto, Montréal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver

The office is at 241 Wasfi Al-Tal Street, Bayt Al-Maqdes Center, 4th floor, Office 403, Amman, with consultations available online for clients across the region. Contact VisaPres on 00962777626232 or info@visapres.com.