Visitor Visa

Visitor Visa

Entry requirements by country/territory

You need to give your biometrics

You now need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) when you apply for a visitor visa if you are from Europe, the Middle East or Africa.

What you need will depend on where you are from, how you are travelling, and what documents you are travelling with.

Note:

  • Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, need a valid Canadian passport. American-Canadians can travel with a valid Canadian or U.S. passport.
  • Canadian permanent residents need a valid permanent resident card or permanent resident travel document.
  • U.S. citizens must carry proper identification such as a valid U.S. passport.
  • Lawful permanent residents of the U.S. need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport. They must present a valid Green Card and a valid passport at check-in.

Visa-exempt

The following travellers need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to board their flight to Canada. However, these travellers do not need an eTA if entering by land or sea – for instance driving from the U.S. or coming by bus, train, or boat, including cruise ship.

  • Andorra
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belgium
  • British citizen
  • British National (Overseas)
  • British overseas citizen (re-admissible to the United Kingdom)
  • British overseas territory citizen with citizenship through birth, descent, naturalization or registration in one of the British overseas territories of:
    • Anguilla
    • Bermuda
    • British Virgin Islands
    • Cayman Islands
    • Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
    • Gibraltar
    • Montserrat
    • Pitcairn Island
    • Saint Helena
    • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • British Subject with a right of abode in the United Kingdom
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Bulgaria
  • Chile
  • Croatia
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, must have a passport issued by Hong Kong SAR.
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Israel, must have a national Israeli passport
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Republic of Korea
  • Latvia
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Malta
  • Mexico
  • Monaco
  • Netherlands
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania (electronic passport holders only)
  • Samoa
  • San Marino
  • Singapore
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • Solomon Islands
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan, must have an ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes the personal identification number
  • United Arab Emirates
  • United States, lawful permanent resident of
  • Vatican City State, must have a passport or travel document issued by the Vatican.

eTA exemptions

Foreign nationals with official Canadian documents

  • Travellers with a valid Canadian visa.
  • Travellers with valid status in Canada (e.g. visitor, student or worker) who re-enters Canada after only visiting the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Foreign nationals in the following situations

  • French citizens who live in Saint Pierre and Miquelon and are flying directly to Canada from St. Pierre and Miquelon.
  • Foreign nationals who are passengers destined to, or coming from, the United States on a flight that stops in Canada solely to refuel and
    • have proper documents to enter the United States, or
    • were lawfully admitted to the United States.
  • Foreign nationals who are passengers on a flight that makes an unscheduled stop in Canada.
  • Foreign nationals who transit through a Canadian airport under the Transit Without Visa or China Transit Program.

Travel and official representatives

  • Flight crew, civil aviation inspectors, accident investigators who are or will be working while in Canada.
  • Members of Armed Forces (not including the civilian component of an armed forces) of a country designated under the Visiting Forces Act coming to Canada to carry out official duties.
  • Diplomats accredited by the Government of Canada.

Visa-required

The following travellers need a visa to come to Canada by any method of travel – plane, car, bus, train, or cruise ship.

Note: Holders of Alien’s passport and Stateless individuals need a visa to visit or transit Canada.

  • Afghanistan
  • Albania
  • Algeria
  • Angola
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Bangladesh
  • Belarus
  • Belize
  • Benin
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Bosnia-Herzegovina
  • Botswana
  • Brazil (note: some Brazilian citizens may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements)
  • British subjects, subject to control
  • Burkina Faso
  • Burma (Myanmar)
  • Burundi
  • Cambodia
  • Cameroon, Republic of
  • Cape Verde
  • Central African Republic
  • Chad
  • China, People's Republic of
  • Colombia
  • Comoros
  • Congo, Democratic Republic of
  • Congo, Republic of
  • Costa Rica, Republic of
  • Cuba
  • Djibouti
  • Dominica
  • Dominican Republic
  • East Timor
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • El Salvador
  • Equatorial Guinea
  • Eritrea
  • Ethiopia
  • Fiji
  • Gabon
  • Gambia
  • Georgia
  • Ghana
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Guyana
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Israel, must have a valid Israeli “Travel Document in lieu of National Passport”
  • Ivory Coast
  • Jamaica
  • Jordan
  • Kazakhstan
  • Kenya
  • Kiribati
  • Korea, North
  • Kosovo
  • Kuwait
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Lebanon
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Libya
  • Macao Special Administrative Region
  • Macedonia
  • Madagascar
  • Malawi
  • Malaysia
  • Maldives Islands
  • Mali
  • Marshall Islands
  • Mauritania
  • Mauritius
  • Micronesia, Fed. States
  • Moldova
  • Mongolia
  • Montenegro
  • Morocco
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Nauru
  • Nepal
  • Nicaragua
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Oman
  • Pakistan
  • Palau
  • Palestinian Authority
  • Panama
  • Paraguay
  • Peru
  • Philippines
  • Qatar
  • Romania (holder of a non-electronic passport, such as a temporary passport)
  • Russia
  • Rwanda
  • Sao Tomé e Principe
  • Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of
  • Senegal
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • Sierra Leone
  • Somalia
  • South Africa
  • South Sudan
  • Sri Lanka
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines (St. Vincent)
  • Sudan
  • Surinam
  • Swaziland
  • Syria
  • Taiwan, must have a passports other than ordinary passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that include their personal identification number
  • Tajikistan
  • Tanzania
  • Thailand
  • Togo
  • Tonga
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Tunisia
  • Turkey
  • Turkmenistan
  • Tuvalu
  • Uganda
  • Ukraine
  • Uruguay
  • Uzbekistan
  • Vanuatu
  • Venezuela
  • Vietnam
  • Yemen
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe
  • Visitor Visa Sample Letter of invitation
    Visitor Visa Sample Letter of invitation
    A letter of invitation does not guarantee that we will issue a visa. Visa officers assess you to decide whether you meet the terms of Canada's immigration law.
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    Last Updated: 29 November 2018
    Editor: Ms. Nasrin Joulaie