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Your government health plan may only cover part of medical and hospital costs outside of Canada. Should you get sick or injured during your stay abroad, you may have to pay medical expenses running into thousands of dollars. That is why we strongly recommend that you acquire complementary travel insurance. Certain credit card holders may have travel and health insurance as part of their card package, however it is prudent to make sure you have adequate coverage before leaving.

We also strongly recommend insurance for cancellation, lost or stolen luggage,  and flight and travel accident. Please contact us for more information and/or for a quotation.

When preparing to leave Canada, remember to plan your travel budget according to your itinerary and the cost of living where you are going. It’s a good idea to have access to extra funds in case of unforeseen events. If you carry cash on you for some of your daily expenses, make sure to have the local currency. Canadian money and travellers cheques are not accepted everywhere.

Bank cards are generally accepted in automatic teller machines worldwide, identified by the CIRRUS logo, providing your money is in a chequing account. Credit cards are also generally accepted everywhere with a few exceptions. Cuba, for example, does not accept credit cards issued from American banks. It is important to note that credit and bank cards generally charge fees for international transactions; please find out more at the bank from which your cards were issued.

We suggest you have different forms of money with you - cash, debit and credit - and keep all your transaction receipts to verify them against your bank and credit card statements when you get home.

Customs agents want your return to go smoothly and to be as pleasant as possible. It is their duty to seize any merchandise that may constitute a threat to our health, environment and agriculture. It is your obligation to declare all merchandise purchased, received, awarded or given to you while outside of Canada, including things that will be delivered or anything purchased in a duty-free shop either in Canada or another country.

Renting a car to visit a region or country can be an excellent alternative, depending on the country. It is also possible that you will need an international driver's license or extra insurance.

You must carry a valid passport throughout your travels outside of Canada. A passport is the only reliable piece of identification that is universally recognized, and that proves that you have the right to re-enter Canada. Certain countries do not require a passport for entry, but rather one or two pieces of photographic identification ("picture I.D."), such as a driver's license, proof of citizenship, birth certificate or citizenship card. Requirements can vary from one country to the next.

NOTE: certain countries require that your passport be valid up to 6 months following your return date. If you do not have a passport you must fill in a passport request form, which you can find  at the following places:
- Canada Post counters
- Your local passport office
- Internet download: www.pptc.gc.ca
 
For more information please visit the Travel Documents section of the Government of Canada website:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/passport

A visa is an official document that is necessary to enter numerous foreign countries. Requirements and processing times may depend upon the reason for your trip: business, studies or tourism.
To find out if you need a visa for where you are going, please contact the embassy or consulate of the country in question, or go to the Travel Documents section of the Government of Canada website. (Link: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/documents/visas?_ga=2.196195823.273986051.1494870496-1709563561.1494869986)

If a child under 18 years of age is travelling alone, with only one of his/her parents or with an adult who is not the child’s parent, the child must have a notarized letter of parental consent from the parent who has custody or from both parents or from the legal guardian, authorizing the child to travel. You will find a consent form on the Government of Canada website in the Travel Section. (Link: https://travel.gc.ca/)

All Canadian children should have their own passports to travel. Please contact the embassy or consulate of the countries the child will be visiting to find out about entry requirements.

Parents/legal guardians should never sign a child’s passport because this will render the passport invalid. The space provided for a signature should be left empty.
If your child is traveling alone, you must make arrangements in advance with the airline to escort the child in the airport, and to ensure that aircraft personnel take care of the child from check-in to arrival. Check if the airline has any restrictions for unaccompanied minors, such as minimum ages for traveling alone, only direct flights accepted, etc. Note that airlines require that the parent or guardian remain in the airport until the aircraft has departed. The person who accompanies the child at arrival must present identification and authorization.

When travelling in a foreign country it is important to be aware of other people’s lifestyles and to respect their laws, religions, culture, social structure and economic situation. Be particularly respectful of temples, mosques, churches, synagogues and other places of worship. If you wish to photograph religious objects, structures or buildings, be sure to ask permission first.