Connecting at Vancouver airport: Canada, international and US connections
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At Vancouver, the airport sorts connecting passengers by where they're going next: Canada Connections, International Connections and USA Connections. If your bags are checked through to your final destination on one ticket, you don't collect them; you follow the signs for your connection type. If they aren't, you go through the regular arrivals process, collect your bags and check in again.
How much time does the airport say you need?
Vancouver doesn't publish a minimum connection time. It asks you to confirm your baggage status and connection requirements with your airline before you arrive. On one ticket, the airline sold you a connection that meets its minimum and must rebook you if you miss it. Read is a 1-hour layover enough?
Gates at a glance
| Gates | Flights to |
|---|---|
| A, B, C | Canada |
| D | International destinations |
| E | The United States |
Your connection, by type
Bags checked through (one ticket, airline taking part in the airport's connections process):
- International to the USA: follow the "USA Connections" signs on Level 4, scan your next boarding pass at an electronic gate, go down to Level 3, go through security screening and US preclearance, then to the E gates.
- Canada to the USA: follow "USA Connections", scan your boarding pass, go through security screening and US preclearance, then to your gate.
- International to Canada: follow "Canada Connections", scan your boarding pass, clear Canada customs at a kiosk and, depending on where you're arriving from, security screening on Level 4, then to the A, B or C gates on Level 3.
- International to international: follow "International Connections" on Level 4. Depending on where you're arriving from, you may have extra security screening before the D gates. Since June 2026, eligible travellers connecting between two international flights don't need to see a Canadian border officer.
Bags not checked through (separate tickets, or your airline doesn't take part): go to International Arrivals on Level 2, clear customs, collect your bags, leave the arrivals area and go up to Departures on Level 3 to check in again. You'll go through security before your next flight.
Good to know
- Connection facility hours can change. If it's closed when you arrive, follow the signs to arrivals or the staff's directions.
- South Terminal: if your next flight leaves from the South Terminal, you must collect your checked bags and take the free courtesy shuttle from the departures level.
- New study or work permits: go to International Arrivals on Level 2 for immigration, not the connections area.
- US preclearance means a domestic arrival in the US. Read connecting in Canada to the US.
Follow the first flight
Add both flights to FlyingOver before you travel. You'll follow the first flight offline and see its estimated arrival, and with Premium, connection guidance shows whether your layover looks comfortable, whether you need to keep moving or whether you should go directly to the gate.
Sources
- Vancouver International Airport (official website), connecting through YVR: Confirm baggage and connection requirements with your airline; through-checked bags transfer automatically; signs for Canada, international and USA connections on Level 4; US preclearance before the E gates; standard arrivals flow when bags aren't through-checked; courtesy shuttle to the South Terminal; ABC gates for Canada, D for international, E for the USA. (September 16, 2026)
- Canada Border Services Agency, international-to-international flight connections made easier (June 26, 2026): International-to-international connections at Vancouver go directly to the departure area without seeing a border officer, under conditions; travellers bound for the US are re-screened and processed by US Customs and Border Protection. (September 16, 2026)
- US Customs and Border Protection, Preclearance: Vancouver is a preclearance location; precleared travellers bypass CBP and TSA on arrival in the US. (September 16, 2026)
Related guides
- Connecting in Canada to the US: preclearance explainedHow US preclearance at Canadian airports works when you connect to a US flight, what it saves you on arrival, and Canada's new Free Flow for connections.
- Flight delay compensation in Canada: APPR explainedHow much Canadian airlines owe for delays and cancellations under the APPR, which disruptions qualify, food and hotels, rebooking and how to claim.
- Toronto Pearson connection guide: customs and preclearanceHow connections work at Toronto Pearson between Terminals 1 and 3, when you clear Canadian customs or US preclearance, and what happens to your bags.