Yet another success story of a person travelled to Canada via 3rd country Ethiopia - Must Read

Day by Day travelling to Canada via 3rd country people are growing. As the India & Pakistan flights are banned by Canada, so people are choosing their 3rd country to enter Canada.
Some are going through Cairo, some are going through Serbia, Some are going through mexico.
But most of the people are now choosing Ethiopia as the 3rd country which they are traveling to Canada.
One of the student travelled successfully as he had put all the things in an order please read this carefully and plan your travel accordingly.

READ HIS FULL STORY

**Travel experience for my trip from Hyderabad to Toronto Via Ethiopia**

Hello Everyone, as many people pinged me personally and asking about details and experiences. I found it difficult to manage time to explain everyone. Hence, I’m writing this detailed explanation on my experience.

Reason for my travel: - I decided to land in Canada at any cost if there is a loophole option as I find it not worthy to complete online classes from India. Although it’s my personal opinion and it will be choice & individual decision of everyone, I request everyone to take decision wisely with your own will.

The trip details start as below: -

Finalized and came to know that Ethiopia route is working well.
Made a plan to not waste money at any point and planned everything at every eventual step such as booking flights with 100 % refund options and holding hotel booking by choosing pay at hotel options only.
Decided to execute this plan along with my friend and applied for Ethiopian e-visa @ https://www.evisa.gov.et/
You will receive visa in 1-2 hours, if not send an email to Support@evisa.gov.et, they will respond by attaching your visa document.
Booked a ticket from HYD to ADD via DOH on 23rd May, 2021.

At HYD airport Qatar airways staff checked my passport and asked whether I’m going to Canada as I have visa stamping. I denied initially, but he said that if I say honestly, he will help me in getting clearance & will definitely board me to the flight.
I agreed with him and he made to stand in a separate line for about 40 minutes, he asked to show all documents like passport, visa, offer letter, enrollment letter, IELTS original report, Fee paid receipt, time table, Covid Negative RT-PCR test result. He took all the pictures and gave me clearance in 10 minutes.
I went for check-in and they didn’t charge me any extra penny for excess weight of Check-in baggage and they didn’t care about my cabin baggage weight (10kgs * 2 bags).
Finally gave me two boarding passes, 1) HYD → DOH 2) DOH→ADD
Post that took the cabin baggage and moved towards immigration department at HYD airport, at that point they asked whether I’m going to Canada, I said yes and they stamped the passport after clicking my picture.
Next step is security check as usual for any vulnerable items, passed it easily.
After security check we sat peacefully and booked tickets from ADD to YYZ as we got confidence that they won’t deny our boarding.

We boarded the flight, landed in DOH where we have 15 hours layover.

For transiting department, they checked our bags again and removed water and spray bottle and gave back empty bottles.
We roamed and made some friends who are also executing the same pathway to reach Canada. Food is free for people who show the boarding pass (DOH→ ADD) at DOH airport’s food court and keep in mind to opt for a soft drink option as it has free refill facility multiple times. Do not take water option with meals and moreover 500 ML water bottle costs 4 USD at DOH airport.
No mandatory need to take the lounge access, as in airport we have quite rooms at gate A, B, C where you can get recliners for free.
At DOH airport, they will ask Passport and boarding pass for boarding the flight.
Qatar airways flights and services are very decent, it worth the price and has free Wi-Fi on flights. If you’re a vegetarian and doesn’t eat anything like beef, pork and so on, just make sure to web check-in and select meal preferences. Not everyone will get chicken, you may be surprised with beef too when there is no chicken meal available.
Enjoy the movies, games, music and entertainment options provided, they are good with wide variety of collections.
We landed at ADD, they will ask to fill a small form regarding health declaration. The immigration is so smooth, they will ask for your e-visa, passport and form you filled and easily will let you in.
Picking the check-in baggage is a big hurdle at ADD airport. It took 2 hours to pick my check- in luggage.
Just move outside the airport and we can find shuttles from various hotels, pick one of your choice based on budget. We picked Ramada Hotel, didn’t have a booking, went to the hotel in their shuttle and paid at the hotel directly. USD $89 for 1 room without breakfast, 2 people can accommodate easily.
Post parking the luggage at hotel room, took the same shuttle to visit nearby COVID testing center named Washington and gave sample around 3 AM local time on 24th May, 2021, the best part is shuttle service is free of cost, you may tip the driver or helper again it’s upon you.
The test costs 4000 ETB or $100 USD via cash and there is option to pay with visa / master cards as well.
We returned to the hotel and freshened up and took a deep sleep.

Here comes the main twist of the story: -

By early morning 10 AM, I got an update that I was tested positive and which made people who travelled along with me feel nervous.
I was in shock as I took multiple tests from various centers at Hyderabad to make myself more confident and extra sure about travel plan and all turned to be negative, hence taken this loophole route to travel Canada.
I would suggest everyone to opt for a travel insurance too, which may help out in case of things go in wrong direction.
One of travel mate, has shared experience that some people were tested false positive. Hence, she suggested to go for second test with different test centre named Wudassie at Addis Ababa.
She has called to Wudassie Diagnostic centre and arranged for a sample pick up at my hotel room and they came for a pickup at around 12PM and I requested them to give me the report ASAP. Paid $100 USD in cash for the test.
I stayed in the hotel itself till the results are out and my friends left to airport.
I ordered food and paid in USD they returned the change difference in ETB.
I made couple of follow-ups with test centre for report and told them that I have flight to catch.
I made up my mind for any decision and waited for the result patiently.
I got a call from test centre and on call he said it’s negative.
Immediately I asked him to send the report to hotel reception in the mean time I packed and checked out from the hotel.
Staff at the hotel are also extremely happy that I need not change any of my travel plans. They yelled at me saying CONGO which means congratulations in their language. They are kind and good people like always ready to help.
I gave them the ETB cash amount as a TIP to all the staff who expressed happiness over my negative result for covid test. I received ETB cash as difference amount when I ordered food at hotel using USD.
Rushed to airport on the hotel provided airport shuttle at 5.30 PM local time. Please, remember there would be huge traffic as many employees, student would return to home at the same time frame. In 30 minutes reached airport and rushed inside.
As I entered, I seen my friends waiting in the Q and joined them at the last.
Check-in happened as usually, didn’t care much about the weight of cabin and check-in luggage and received boarding pass from ADD → YYZ.
In the Q a person will come and ask to show for offer letter, passport, visa, enrollment letter, Covid report.
All set for next step of immigration check, they will give exit stamp by checking passport and boarding pass.
Next would be security check and finally we’re in.
We sat near the restaurant inside the ADD airport and peacefully ordered food (snacks) and moved ahead to gate A16.
There would be multiple security checks again, they will remove items like water, dry fruits and so on.
We need to remove shoes at every check if we are wearing one.
Make sure to be ahead of time and give enough time for security checks.
Finally, boarded the flight and everyone in our gang are pumped up.
Post the boarding if there are any seats available, you can request for a seat change, very simple negotiation works.
It’s a 16 hours flight with one stop at DUB for fuel, we will be on flight itself. There will be only change in Cabin crew.
Carry good snacks, as we didn’t find the food at Ethiopian airlines to be good. Most of the food is uncooked.
Almost the gang of friends didn’t sleep well due to excitement. On flight they gave forms to fill in which decoration card is important, fill it carefully without mistakes. It will be used at multiple gates at YYZ airport. If you’re sharing your accommodation, make sure to write all names on that card.
Finally landed at YYZ airport on 25th May, 2021 at 8 AM.
We moved ahead for arrivals section and on the way, we filled the switch health form for covid sample collection. No need to give Canadian phone number, you can give Indian number but make sure to give email ID correctly.
We rushed in and officers are quite pissed off as no one is maintaining social distancing.
After that issue, the border officer asked me that do I know why Canada banned flights from India. I answered like due to spike in Covid cases. She replied then why you travelled? I explained like my course needs to be attentive and focus where in different time zone it is not happening for me and my health is deprecating and cooked the story. She is rude, but finally let me in. She will stamp on the decoration card provided by airlines, just keep that handy all the time.
Post this step, they guide you for a Q where we need to show the passport, visa, hotel & 11 days quarantine and Covid report.
Next step is to get the study permit, there are multiple windows and every officer will ask documents and questions, if we present all the valid documents, there are no issues. Still there are some good officers and tough officers, it depends on your luck to which officer we may land into. We will be provided with study permit letter with all our details on it.
Post that we need to pick our Check-in luggage and need to go through one security check where officer ask for if we are carrying any food in bags, we said No, he didn’t check anyway.
Post that he took our decoration card and guided us to covid sample collection window.
They will take your passport and will take your sample. This is a very smooth process no hurdles at all.
On the way to exit, they provide self-testing kit too and will tell you the date you need to do it yourself.
After moving ahead at the exit gate section, by saying which hotel you booked, the staff there would guide through which gate you need to exit.
We exited from gate D and there are cabs waiting for us to pick. We boarded them and landed at Quality Inn hotel at around 25th May, 2021 at 11.30 AM.
There is some paper work and they have pay at hotel option, smooth check-in and this hotel doesn’t have Elevator, we need to carry our own luggage.
Waited at hotel, here the food is less spicy and fine.
On 26th morning around 11.30 AM, we received an email stating that we are tested covid negative.

All hippies till now and waiting to explore more in Canada.

Note: -

1) Yes, this is risky route by which you can be denied at any airport depends on situation. If you feel that you need to land in Canada by any chance and have real urgency, this route is worth the risk.
2) Do not blindly believe the covid report you receive at ADD testing centers, just make yourself confident and make sure to keep a buffer time of giving second sample and receiving report before the check-in time and reaching airport.
3) At Qatar DOH airport, you will realise the value of drinking water as most of the free water drinking spots are closed due to covid. Each water bottle purchase will burn your pockets.
4) This route works for all visa types, we met PR holders, work permit holders and many students by which all are in hotel quarantine currently and tested negative.
5) I previously tried Maldives route pathway as well, but didn’t work out. I felt this pathway is smoother than ever.
6) At Doha Airport, Whats App calls won’t work, if needed so to talk with family and all, install Botim app from play/ app store.
7) Make sure that wherever you’re giving the covid sample, ask the centre to provide with QR code. Do not accept any report which doesn’t have QR code it will not help you at any stage and even may lead to deny the boarding from Airlines staff.
8) We carried $400 USD from Hyderabad itself, to manage expenses like Covid reports & hotel at ADD.
9) Make sure you’re completely covid negative and don’t reveal to test centers that you’re travelling outside of India, there are chances that they give report as negative without testing in 6 hours. Invest money on good centers and multiple tests to boost your confidence.
10) Take reliance student travel insurance which costs around 1143 INR for 30 days which comes handy from Journey start to till your complete quarantine in Canada.
11) I heard from various people that at ADD there are chances of theft of wallet, phone and sometimes passports. We didn’t face any issues like that but I would suggest everyone to be vigilant on their own belongings
12) The main documents which were asked in all airports are Negative Covid RT-PCR test report with QR code, passport, Visa, Offer letter, enrollment letter, Fee receipt, time table, IELTS report only.
13) For many people they didn’t ask return ticket at HYD airport which is from ADD→ HYD, for a safe side we took a ticket 20 days later travel date with 100% refund policy.

Costs involved:

Forex exchange for $400 USD = 29500 INR
Ethiopian e-visa = 3800 INR
Qatar airways Flight from HYD → ADD = 60000 INR
Covid report at Hyderabad = 500-1000 INR
Ethiopian Airlines ADD → YYZ = 76000 INR
Miscellaneous expenses at DOH airport = 1000 INR
Ramada Hotel at ADD = $45 USD per head in a room of 2 people per day.
Covid test at ADD = $100 USD, second test = $100 USD
Food = $20 USD average per day.
Total = 1.7-1.8 Lakh INR, varies from city you depart from and your own personal expenses

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charithardha - Blogger

Thursday, May 27, 2021