Information for travellers

PASSPORTS & VISAS

It is recommended that all passengers travel with a valid passport, regardless of their destination. All passengers, regardless of nationality and destination, must check with their travel agent and the consulate of the country they are visiting to find out the most up-to-date entry requirements. In compliance with Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) initiatives now in place in many countries, passengers must provide basic personal information to airlines prior to departure. To comply with security measures, Air Transat will require 5 pieces of basic information from their passengers, which will be communicated to customs officials prior to landing. Passengers will be required to provide the following information: official first and last name, gender, date of birth, citizenship, and travel document number. In addition to that, Air Transat has to comply with the Secure Flight Program requirements, effective since November 1, 2009.

Passengers travelling to the United States are required to provide the full address (including zip code) where they will stay while in the U.S. If passengers are connecting to a cruise ship, they should have available the name of the cruise ship and city/state of point of embarkation. Passengers should be prepared to provide this information prior to arriving at the airport.

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 entry. Passengers holding insufficient or incorrect documentation will be denied boarding.

Important notice - Passengers of 12 years old and older

All passengers of 12 years old and older, departing to/from Canada on all air carriers are subject to advanced identity screening related to the Transport Canada Passenger Protect program.

Every passenger age 12 years and older is required to show:

• One piece of valid government-issued PHOTO identification showing the passenger’s name, date of birth and gender,
  OR
• Two pieces of valid government-issued ID that do not include photographs, one of which shows the passenger’s name, date of birth and gender.

The air carrier has the responsibility to ensure every passenger has the required identification to meet the requirements of both Passenger Protect as well as their destination country. 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).

Please consult the following link for complete details:
www.protectiondespassagers.gc.ca/home.html

The above requirements are specifically for the documentation requirements of Passenger Protect, and DO NOT replace the entry requirements of your destination country. Please consult the following information regarding required documents for Immigration purposes.

Travelling to Canada

Travelling to Canada requires a valid passport regardless of nationality. Travellers from some countries may also require a VISA, in addition to a valid passport. Please check with the Consulate for complete details. For British Subjects, specific visa requirements exist. Please consult http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/missions/unitedkingdom-royaumeuni//visas/menu-eng.asp for more information.

Permanent Canadian residents already in Canada are required to hold a Permanent Resident Card. People who have completed the Canadian immigration process and have obtained permanent resident status, but are not Canadian citizens can apply for the Card. The Permanent Resident Card is deemed to be the only Permanent Resident status document valid for re-entering Canada by commercial carrier (airplane, boat, train and bus) after international travel and must be carried with your national passport. The first Permanent Resident Cards were issued in June 2002 for a 5-year period. Ensure to check the expiry date and apply for a new one well in advance of your intended travel date. For more information, consult www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/pr-card/index.asp.

Travelling from Canada

For international flights, please consult your travel agent for specific country requirements.

For any destination, it is strongly recommended that children under the age of 18 carry a consent letter signed by both parents or their legal guardian for each and every trip abroad if they travel with only one parent, alone, or with other acquaintances.

Here's a helpful checklist of passport and visa information you may want to check out before you leave.

• 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.
• Some countries have very specific regulations regarding cases where only one parent is travelling with a child. We recommend you obtain information from your travel agent or destination country consulate.
• Check with your travel agent or local officials (embassy, consulate) to find out which documents are required and then make certain that you have the documents in hand at time of check-in.
  For more information, please visit the following web sites:
  Foreign Affairs Canada – Country Travel Reports
  Embassy offices and consulates around the world
• Failure to provide the required documents may result in being denied boarding by the carrier or relevant authorities, without further recourse or the possibility of a refund.
• No refund or replacement is given for lost or stolen travel documents.
• For a majority of destinations, tourist cards and/or custom declaration cards are distributed on board Air Transat flights or by your travel agent/tour operator.
• Canadian citizens must show proof of citizenship (birth certificate or citizenship card) and official identity card with picture for destinations where passports or visas are not required.
• Cruise passengers must present a valid passport, regardless of the entry requirements for their country of embarkation.

Travelling to Costa Rica

For information, visit www.visitcostarica.com.

Travelling to Cuba

For information, visit www.gocuba.ca/client/home/index.php?locale=en .

Travelling to the Dominican Republic

Minors under 18 years of age

• Exiting the Dominican Republic alone
• Exiting the Dominican Republic accompanied by a different person with whom they entered

In the above scenarios, the minor under 18 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 parents or guardian's place of residence and translated into Spanish. The translation or notarization can be arranged in the Dominican Republic.

Minors under 18 years of age in all other circumstances (Dominican Republic)
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 www.drembassy.org.

Travelling to El Salvador

For information, visit
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=80000#4
http://www.rree.gob.sv/

Travelling to Mexico

For Canadian and American travellers, a valid passport is required (effective March 1, 2010). Aliens who are permanent residents must have an alien registration card and a valid passport as well as the Consul Stamp or Visa, if applicable. For more information, visit http://www.sre.gob.mx/canadaingles/

Travelling to Panama

For information, visit
http://www.embassyofpanama.ca/
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=233000#4

Travelling to Nicaragua

For information, visit
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=216000#4

Travelling to United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Effective February 12, 2006, 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 appropriate page on the UKvisas web site.

Travelling to/from the United States

In addition to the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) requirement noted above, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) is a new law that requires all travellers, including citizens of Canada and the USA, 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, consult www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ready_set_go/air_travel/documents_needed.xml and www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/whti-ivho/air-aerien-eng.html.

Visa Waiver Program (VWP)

The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) enables nationals of certain countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. All VWP travelers, regardless of age or type of passport used, must present machine-readable passports. For more information, consult http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html

All passengers, regardless of nationality, must verify their individual requirements with their travel agent and the U.S. Consulate prior to departure

Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
The Department of Homeland Security announces the implementation of the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). ESTA is a new fully automated, electronic system for screening passengers before they begin travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel to the United States, and VWP travelers are encouraged to apply for authorization as soon as they begin to plan a trip to the United States.

Please note that this requirement does not apply to Canadian & U.S. citizens.
Learn more about ESTA on the DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) website.

Travelling to Venezuela

For information, visit
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=313000#4
http://www.misionvenezuela.org/

Requirements of other countries

Passengers travelling outside Canada, regardless of nationality, must consult with travel agents and local consulates about regulations on passports and visas. For more information on passports and visas, consult the Foreign Affairs Canada web site.

Transiting without visa (TWOV)

Transiting without visa may be permitted, when specific conditions are met. This is available at the following airports:

• Amsterdam, Athens, Brussels, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Lamezia Terme, Madrid, Marseilles, Munich, Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, Pescara, Rome, Shannon, Venice, Vienna.

Please consult your travel agent and/or the local consulate for further details.

Transiting without visa is not permitted to the following destinations:

• Barcelona, Basel, Bordeaux, Dublin, Faro, Lisbon, Lyons, Malaga, Nantes, Nice, Porto, Ponta Delgada, Terceira, Toulouse.

Note:

• The United Kingdom will not be part of Transiting without visa procedures as transit visas are issued locally.
• E-tickets and paper tickets are valid documents 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.

Liability limitations

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

For more information on passports and visas, consult the Foreign Affairs Canada web site.