The Government of Canada quietly updated its worldwide travel-advisory portal on 28 October 2025 to warn that travellers bound for France could face lengthier visa-processing times, appointment shortages at consulates and ‘intermittent service disruptions’ at French airports as the country rolls out new biometric border systems.
According to the advisory, Canadians who need a French national-long-stay or work visa should now plan for a processing window of at least six weeks and be prepared to travel to Montreal, Ottawa or Vancouver for in-person biometrics if no closer appointments are available. The notice cites a spike in applications ahead of the 2026 Winter Games in the French Alps and teething problems with France’s implementation of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES).
Transport Canada officials say the alert was triggered after a week in which Air France and Air Canada jointly reported more than 1,200 cases of passengers missing connections at Paris Charles de Gaulle because of extended immigration lines. Business-travel management firms have told clients to add “a minimum of two hours” to connection buffers in Paris until the end-of-year holiday period.
The advisory also cautions that French prefectures have tightened documentation checks for Canadians applying for intra-company transferee (ICT) permits, with some offices temporarily refusing incomplete files. Canadian multinationals with Paris or Lyon hubs are being urged to audit assignment calendars and plan renewals early to avoid over-stay penalties.
From a global-mobility perspective, the inclusion of France—traditionally ranked among the world’s easiest destinations for Canadian leisure travellers—marks a significant shift. HR mobility teams should build in longer lead times for visa appointments, budget for possible flight re-routing via Amsterdam or Frankfurt, and remind employees that the EES fingerprint and facial-capture process will apply on every arrival and departure once fully live in April 2026.
According to the advisory, Canadians who need a French national-long-stay or work visa should now plan for a processing window of at least six weeks and be prepared to travel to Montreal, Ottawa or Vancouver for in-person biometrics if no closer appointments are available. The notice cites a spike in applications ahead of the 2026 Winter Games in the French Alps and teething problems with France’s implementation of the EU Entry/Exit System (EES).
Transport Canada officials say the alert was triggered after a week in which Air France and Air Canada jointly reported more than 1,200 cases of passengers missing connections at Paris Charles de Gaulle because of extended immigration lines. Business-travel management firms have told clients to add “a minimum of two hours” to connection buffers in Paris until the end-of-year holiday period.
The advisory also cautions that French prefectures have tightened documentation checks for Canadians applying for intra-company transferee (ICT) permits, with some offices temporarily refusing incomplete files. Canadian multinationals with Paris or Lyon hubs are being urged to audit assignment calendars and plan renewals early to avoid over-stay penalties.
From a global-mobility perspective, the inclusion of France—traditionally ranked among the world’s easiest destinations for Canadian leisure travellers—marks a significant shift. HR mobility teams should build in longer lead times for visa appointments, budget for possible flight re-routing via Amsterdam or Frankfurt, and remind employees that the EES fingerprint and facial-capture process will apply on every arrival and departure once fully live in April 2026.
