The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has confirmed that it will permanently phase-out the Remote Area Border Crossing (RABC) permit program on September 14 2026 and replace it with a telephone-reporting regime. For decades, RABC permits allowed recreational and business travellers—particularly anglers, hunters and cottagers—to enter Canada at remote points such as Minnesota’s Northwest Angle or along Lake Superior without presenting themselves to an officer.
Under the new model, travellers will be required to call a designated CBSA number immediately upon entry to provide passport details, travel plans and, if requested, supporting documents. Travellers may still be directed to present in person when risk indicators arise. CBSA says the change will modernise border management, free frontline officers for higher-risk tasks and align remote crossings with telephone reporting already used in some marine and small-aircraft corridors.
Local U.S. lawmakers and tourism operators have voiced concerns that poor cell coverage could discourage visitors. The Northwest Angle’s resort owners, who rely on Canadian fishing grounds, fear lost revenue if the process is perceived as cumbersome. CBSA maintains that consultations are under way to add telephone-reporting kiosks and signage in coordination with Indigenous communities, municipalities and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
![Canada to Replace Remote Area Border Crossing Permits with Telephone Reporting by 2026]()
If you would like extra help understanding Canada’s evolving entry rules, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers clear, up-to-date guidance. Whether you are an angler heading north for a weekend, a resort owner sending staff across the border, or a company arranging complex work travel, VisaHQ can assist with documentation checks, telephone-reporting protocols and any required permits so you stay compliant when the RABC program ends.
For Canadian businesses, the update means reviewing employee travel policies. Firms that send staff to service lodges, mines or infrastructure projects in remote regions should brief travellers on the new requirement, ensure they carry satellite phones where coverage is spotty, and build extra time into itineraries. Failure to report will constitute an offence under the Customs Act and could lead to fines or seizure of goods.
Practical tips: 1) confirm whether your intended entry point falls within the former RABC zone, 2) pre-programme the CBSA reporting number, 3) have passports, vessel registration and any work permits ready before calling, and 4) monitor CBSA social-media channels for the final list of designated reporting sites, to be published in early 2026.
Under the new model, travellers will be required to call a designated CBSA number immediately upon entry to provide passport details, travel plans and, if requested, supporting documents. Travellers may still be directed to present in person when risk indicators arise. CBSA says the change will modernise border management, free frontline officers for higher-risk tasks and align remote crossings with telephone reporting already used in some marine and small-aircraft corridors.
Local U.S. lawmakers and tourism operators have voiced concerns that poor cell coverage could discourage visitors. The Northwest Angle’s resort owners, who rely on Canadian fishing grounds, fear lost revenue if the process is perceived as cumbersome. CBSA maintains that consultations are under way to add telephone-reporting kiosks and signage in coordination with Indigenous communities, municipalities and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
If you would like extra help understanding Canada’s evolving entry rules, VisaHQ’s Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers clear, up-to-date guidance. Whether you are an angler heading north for a weekend, a resort owner sending staff across the border, or a company arranging complex work travel, VisaHQ can assist with documentation checks, telephone-reporting protocols and any required permits so you stay compliant when the RABC program ends.
For Canadian businesses, the update means reviewing employee travel policies. Firms that send staff to service lodges, mines or infrastructure projects in remote regions should brief travellers on the new requirement, ensure they carry satellite phones where coverage is spotty, and build extra time into itineraries. Failure to report will constitute an offence under the Customs Act and could lead to fines or seizure of goods.
Practical tips: 1) confirm whether your intended entry point falls within the former RABC zone, 2) pre-programme the CBSA reporting number, 3) have passports, vessel registration and any work permits ready before calling, and 4) monitor CBSA social-media channels for the final list of designated reporting sites, to be published in early 2026.
