Canada Just Closed a Tiny Loophole — and It's a Lesson for Every Traveller

Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon is a French territory sitting about 25 kilometres off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador. Roughly 6,000 visa-exempt travellers cross by ferry every year between there and Fortune, Newfoundland — a short, regional hop that, until now, didn't require an electronic travel authorization (eTA) the way flying into Canada would.

Canada noticed people using that route specifically to bypass pre-arrival screening. So as of 1:00 a.m. Eastern on June 5, 2026, most visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by boat from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon — ferry, private boat, or commercial vessel — now need an eTA, same as anyone flying in.

What actually changed

• Visa-exempt travellers arriving by boat from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon now require an eTA, effective June 5, 2026.
• Exemptions remain for cruise ship passengers (already screened), French citizens residing in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon travelling directly to Canada, seafarers on commercial vessels like fishing boats, and US nationals and permanent residents.
• Requirements for travellers from visa-required countries have not changed — this specifically closes a gap for visa-exempt travellers on this one route.
• An approved eTA is linked electronically to the traveller's passport and stays valid for 5 years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.

Why this matters

This is a narrow, targeted fix — not a broad tightening of Canada's borders. But it's a useful reminder for anyone planning travel to Canada: entry requirements aren't just about your citizenship or your destination. They're also about your route. A regional ferry crossing, a short hop between islands, a "everyone just does it this way" shortcut — none of that guarantees an exemption from screening. Rules can and do get closed the moment a pattern gets noticed.

If you're planning travel to Canada and you're not sure whether your specific route, method of entry, or documentation is actually current, book a consultation rather than assuming the way things worked last year still applies.

Source: Canada strengthens borders while supporting economic and tourism ties with Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon

Photo credit: Photo by Sebastian Voortman on Pexels