How to Register Your Trip With the Government of Canada Before Travelling or Living Abroad

What does registering your trip with the Government of Canada do?

The federal service is called Registration of Canadians Abroad. It is designed to help the Government of Canada communicate with people registered outside Canada when circumstances at their destination may affect their safety.

Registration is free, voluntary and confidential. Government officials can use the information to send location-specific messages by email and, in some circumstances when internet services are unavailable, by text message.

Those messages may include advice before an emergency such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, instructions during an emergency, information related to assisted departure or evacuation operations, and important changes to the Travel Advice and Advisories that could affect your plans or safety.

You can start from the official Registration of Canadians Abroad page or go directly to the online Registration of Canadians Abroad service.

When should you register your trip?

The Government of Canada says the best time to register is before you leave Canada. You can also register after you are already abroad.

There is no minimum trip length stated for the service. The Government of Canada encourages registration whether you are going on vacation or living outside Canada for a longer period.

Registration is intended for international travel. It is not a service for registering trips within Canada.

Who can register?

Current Global Affairs Canada information states that Canadian citizens and permanent residents can register. Canadian citizens travelling or living abroad are specifically encouraged to use the service.

If a traveller is not a Canadian citizen but has an immediate family member who is Canadian, the Government of Canada instructs the family to register the Canadian family member first, including a Canadian child under 18, and then add the non-Canadian family member as a co-traveller.

There are also special consular arrangements that permit Australian and Israeli citizens to register for certain destinations. These exceptions are destination-specific and are listed in the Government of Canada's Registration of Canadians Abroad FAQ.

What information do you need to register?

The registration asks for travel information and personal details that allow Global Affairs Canada to understand where you expect to be and how to reach you if necessary.

You should be ready to provide information such as:

• your personal details, including your date of birth;
• your destination country or countries;
• your travel dates;
• where you will be staying in the destination country or countries;
• your contact information;
• emergency contact information in Canada;
• details for co-travellers or household members you want included.

Provide information as accurately as possible. If your itinerary changes, update the registration rather than leaving old dates or locations in your account.

How do you register your trip online?

1. Open the official online registration service.
2. Enter the personal information requested by the system.
3. Add your first destination and the dates associated with that part of your trip.
4. Enter information about where you expect to stay.
5. Add your emergency contact details in Canada.
6. Add your co-travellers or household members where applicable.
7. If you have additional destinations, add them before completing your travel information.
8. Save your registration and create your account so that you can return to update it later.

There is no fee to use the service.

How do you register a trip with multiple countries?

You do not need a completely separate registration for every country on the same journey. After entering the details for the first destination, select Add Additional Destination and enter the information for the next country.

Add each country you expect to visit. Accurate destinations matter because Registration of Canadians Abroad messages can be location-specific, including emergency instructions and changes to Travel Advice and Advisories.

How do you register family members or a group?

The online service lets you include co-travellers and household members. For a group registration, Global Affairs Canada currently instructs users to enter the first 15 co-travellers or household members, save the registration and create the account.

You can then sign in again to add additional co-travellers or household members.

If someone travelling with you is not a Canadian citizen but is an immediate family member of a Canadian citizen, register the Canadian family member first and then add the non-Canadian family member as a co-traveller where permitted.

How do you register a cruise?

Cruise itineraries need more detail than simply entering the cruise departure country. Global Affairs Canada instructs cruise travellers to select every port as a separate destination, including when several ports are in the same country.

This matters because emergencies and security conditions can be highly localized. Register every country and port on the itinerary rather than only the embarkation point or final destination.

The Government of Canada's cruise travel guidance also recommends registering all countries you will visit.

What if your itinerary changes after you register?

Keep the registration current. If you registered online, sign in to your account and update your travel or account information whenever your itinerary changes.

This is particularly important if you change countries, extend your stay, leave a destination earlier than planned or change where you can be reached. Government registration statistics may continue to show someone in a region until the person updates the profile or the trip's pre-set end date passes.

You can use the official Registration of Canadians Abroad account portal to manage an online registration.

Is your information confidential?

Yes. Global Affairs Canada states that personal information collected through Registration of Canadians Abroad is confidential and is handled in accordance with Canada's Privacy Act.

The Government of Canada's FAQ states that personal information for you and your co-travellers is destroyed 12 months after the return date originally entered in the registration. If you register a new trip during that period, the information is destroyed 12 months after the new return date.

You can review the official registration information before entering your personal details.

Does registration guarantee consular help in an emergency?

No. Registration is a communication and emergency-planning tool, not a guarantee of evacuation or consular assistance. Global Affairs Canada specifically states that registering does not guarantee that you will receive consular assistance.

You also do not have to be registered to request emergency consular assistance. If you need help while travelling, Canadian consular services remain available according to the circumstances and the Canadian Consular Services Charter.

During a large-scale emergency, registration can help officials send instructions and information to people associated with an affected location. It is one of several tools the government uses for emergency planning.

What else should you do before leaving Canada?

Registering your trip should be one part of your travel preparation, not the only safety measure. Global Affairs Canada recommends several additional steps.

• Read the Travel Advice and Advisories while planning and again shortly before departure.
• Leave a detailed itinerary and contact information with family or friends in Canada.
• Give a trusted person the contact information for the Emergency Watch and Response Centre.
• Keep the details of the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate serving your destination.
• Consider appropriate travel insurance for your trip.

You can find Canadian offices abroad through the Government of Canada embassy and consulate directory.

Common mistakes to avoid when registering a trip

• Do not register only your first destination if the trip includes several countries.
• For a cruise, do not enter only the departure port. Add every port as a separate destination.
• Do not leave an old itinerary unchanged after your travel plans move to different dates or locations.
• Check that your email and other contact details are current so emergency information can reach you.
• Add relevant co-travellers or household members rather than assuming one traveller's registration automatically covers everyone.
• Do not treat registration as a replacement for checking Travel Advice and Advisories or arranging travel insurance.
• Do not assume registration guarantees evacuation or other consular assistance.

What happens after you register?

Your registration remains associated with the destinations and dates you entered. Global Affairs Canada may use it to send important location-specific information before or during an emergency and to notify you of relevant changes to Canadian travel advice.

In normal circumstances, there may be nothing else you need to do. Keep your account information and itinerary accurate, monitor official travel advice, and retain the contact information for the Canadian office serving your destination.

If an emergency develops abroad, follow the instructions provided by local authorities and Global Affairs Canada and check the Government of Canada's large-scale emergency guidance.