Arriving at Toronto Pearson With an eTA: Kiosks, Customs and Connections

The short answer: after an international flight into Toronto Pearson you follow the signs to customs in Terminal 1 or Terminal 3, scan your passport at a primary inspection kiosk or, in Terminal 1, an eGate, answer the declaration questions, and hand the printed receipt to a border services officer before collecting your bags. You never show the eTA itself: it is linked to your passport and was checked by the airline before boarding, so the only thing to have ready is the passport you used to apply for a Canada eTA. That service is a paid private one, separate from the Government of Canada.

Applying directly on the Government of Canada site costs only the government fee. Either way, the eTA lets you board; it does not promise entry. The officer you meet at Pearson makes that decision after looking at your passport and asking about the trip.

Two earlier guides cover the steps on either side of this one: where the eTA is actually checked, at airline check-in, and which document a connection through Canada needs if Pearson is only a stop on the way. This page is about what happens physically once the plane doors open.

Which terminal will you land in at Pearson?

Pearson runs two passenger terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Border kiosks are installed in both. The eGates, which are the faster self-service lanes, exist only in Terminal 1, according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Your airline decides the terminal. According to the airport’s airline list, a sample looks like this:

Airlines occasionally move, so check your flight’s arrival details on the day of travel. If you end up in the wrong terminal, the free Terminal Link train runs between the two around the clock, and the airport puts the ride between stations at two to eight minutes.

What happens between the gate and the border officer?

Signs lead you from the gate to the customs hall. The CBSA lists the kiosk steps like this:

1. Choose your language on the screen.
2. Scan your passport. The machine needs a passport or a Canadian permanent resident card.
3. Look at the camera so it can take your photo.
4. Answer the declaration questions about where you have been, what you are bringing and how much money you carry.
5. Collect the receipt the kiosk prints.
6. Take the receipt to the border services officer, who reviews it with your passport.

Fingerprint verification is on the CBSA’s list of kiosk steps only if required, and it applies to select foreign nationals. A visitor applying only for an eTA is not asked for fingerprints, so unless you gave biometrics for an earlier Canadian application, there is usually nothing for the kiosk to match; why eTA visitors don’t give fingerprints explains the reasoning.

If the kiosks are not working, an airport representative sends you straight to an officer, so the passport is still all you need.

Kiosk or eGate: which one can you use?

Some travellers must skip the machines and go to an officer: those whose document the machine cannot read, anyone not travelling on a passport or permanent resident card, asylum claimants, and unaccompanied children under 14. The age is 14, not 16: Pearson’s own pages still say 16, but the CBSA rule is 14.

A visitor with a passport can use either machine. The CBSA pages talk about foreign nationals in general and do not single out eTA holders, so treat the eTA as simply the permission that got you on the plane.

Should you fill in Advance Declaration before you land?

You can. Advance Declaration in ArriveCAN lets you send the customs and immigration declaration from the app or the website within the 72 hours before your flight lands. Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 at Pearson both take part. In return you get access to the Express Lanes, and at the kiosk or eGate your answers are already filled in, so you check them, correct anything that changed and move on.

Two limits to keep in mind. A declaration you send but do not confirm at a kiosk within 72 hours expires, and if your flight is badly delayed you will need to submit a new one. It also does not work with the NEXUS kiosks. You can also answer the same questions at the kiosk instead.

Do not mix it up with the eTA. Advance Declaration is the arrival form, sent shortly before landing. It neither replaces the eTA nor proves you hold one.

What does the officer ask, and will you get a passport stamp?

The officer looks at your passport and travel documents and asks a few questions, usually about the purpose of the trip and how long you plan to stay. They need to be satisfied that you are admissible and will leave at the end of your stay. Having the eTA does not remove that decision.

On the length of stay, the officer may stamp your passport or tell you how long you can stay, commonly up to six months, sometimes less or more. They may also hand you a visitor record with a leave-by date. If you receive neither, you can stay six months from the day you entered or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

Many visitors are surprised to leave a Pearson kiosk without a stamp. At airports with kiosks the stamp is not automatic. If you want one, ask the officer after you finish at the kiosk.

Being sent to a secondary inspection room is a normal part of border processing for travellers of all kinds, and it is not an accusation. Answer the questions plainly and wait for the officer.

Baggage hall and the customs exit

Bags arrive on the carousel for your flight number; the airport’s flight arrival guide shows which one. Before the exit you show your declaration receipt to a CBSA officer; this applies to everyone. According to the airport, both terminals also have a pilot “Goods to Declare” lane for people who have something to declare.

Things worth declaring, based on CBSA guidance:

• All food, plants and animals or products made from them, including pets. Leaving them off can mean seizure and a penalty of up to 1,300 CAD.
• Alcohol and tobacco above the duty-free limits: 1.5 litres of wine, or 1.14 litres of spirits, or 8.5 litres of beer, and 200 cigarettes. You must be 19 or older to bring alcohol in duty-free through Pearson.
• Money or monetary instruments worth 10,000 CAD or more.
• Personal belongings are not taxed if you declare them and take them home again.

Connecting at Pearson: domestic, international or to the US

What you do depends on the next flight, according to the airport.

• Next flight within Canada: if you arrived from abroad, including the US, you clear Canadian customs and immigration first, with the same kiosk or eGate steps as above.
• Next flight to the US: you go through US Customs at Pearson instead. US Customs and Border Protection checks passengers before they board, so there are no CBP or TSA lines when you land in the US. It operates in both terminals, but with set hours that run from early morning to the evening, so check them before an early or late connection. Check the US entry requirements for your passport before you book.
• Next flight abroad on the same day: in Terminal 1, if your airline transfers your bags automatically, the CBSA’s Free Flow program can let you connect without a kiosk or officer. It is not offered in Terminal 3.

For bags, the airport says that if your tag runs to the final destination you may still need to move the bag to the transfer belt; if it does not, collect it and check it in again. Ask when you first check in.

If your passport is from an eTA-required country, you need an eTA for any air connection through Canada, even if you never leave the secure area. For more, see how the transit rule applies to a short connection.

A quick check before you land at Pearson

1. Keep the passport Air Canada checks at the gate within reach.
2. Know your arrival terminal and, on a connection, your departure terminal.
3. If you want Advance Declaration, send it inside the 72 hours before landing.
4. Make a list of food and other items to declare.
5. If you want a stamp, ask the officer after the kiosk. You can also check your eTA status before leaving home, using your passport and application number or UCI.

The short version

1. Pearson has Terminal 1 and Terminal 3; eGates are in Terminal 1 only.
2. Scan your passport at a kiosk or eGate, answer the questions and keep the receipt.
3. You do not show the eTA; the airline already checked it.
4. Advance Declaration is not needed to use the kiosk; if you use it, send it no earlier than 72 hours before landing.
5. Unaccompanied children under 14 go to an officer; children travelling with you use the kiosk.
6. Declare food, large sums of money and alcohol or tobacco over the limits.
7. A connection to the US means US preclearance at Pearson, not Canadian customs.

FAQ

What are the arrival procedures at Toronto Pearson Airport? You go to the kiosk (either terminal) or an eGate (Terminal 1), scan your passport, answer the declaration questions and take the receipt to a CBSA officer. Then you collect your bags and show the declaration again on the way out. You can also send Advance Declaration beforehand.

How long does it take to clear customs at Toronto Pearson? There is no official figure, and it depends on how many flights land at once. The airport shows current customs waits by category on its arrivals page. Sending Advance Declaration gives you access to the Express Lanes.

Can I use the eGates at Toronto Pearson with an eTA? eGates are for travellers aged 14 and over with a passport, and they exist only in Terminal 1, one person at a time. With a child under 14 you use a kiosk. The CBSA asks foreign visitors to use the self-service machines when they can.

Do I have to go through customs in Toronto for a connecting international flight? If you land from abroad and your next flight is within Canada, yes, you clear Canadian customs. If the next flight goes to the US, you complete US preclearance in Pearson instead. In Terminal 1, a same-day international connection may qualify for Free Flow. In every case, a traveller on an eTA-country passport needs the eTA to board.

Why didn’t I get a passport stamp at Toronto Pearson? At airports with kiosks, passports are not stamped automatically. Without a stamp you can stay six months from entry or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. If you want a stamp, ask the officer after the kiosk.