Most travellers need a valid entry document such as an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a visa to visit Canada. This will depend on your citizenship or your situation.

Basic requirements

To visit Canada, you will need to meet some basic requirements, such as:

  • have a valid travel document, such as a passport,
  • be in good health,
  • have no criminal or immigration-related convictions,
  • convince an immigration officer that you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country,
  • convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit, and
  • have enough money for your stay. (The amount of money you will need can vary. It depends on things such as how long you will stay, and whether you will stay in a hotel, or with friends or relatives.)



 Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

As of March 15, 2016, travellers with passports from eTA-required countries who enter Canada by air will need an eTA.

The authorization is electronically linked to your passport and is valid for five years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.

Applying for an eTA is a simple and inexpensive ($7 Canadian) online process that will take just a few minutes. Most eTA-eligible applicants will get their authorization within minutes of submitting the online form.

If you need an eTA, you should:
•get it when you plan your trip – do not wait for the last minute to apply (see Travel documents), and
•travel to Canada with the passport you used to get your eTA.

Key eTA exemptions

U.S. citizens do not need an eTA to enter Canada.

 

 

Visitor visa

Travellers with passports from visa-required countries and territories need a visitor visa (temporary resident visa) to enter Canada.

A visa is an official document that is inserted inside a passport giving permission for you to come to Canada.


Conditions of a visa

There are two types: a single-entry visa and a multiple-entry visa. Both are valid for a fixed period and cannot be used after they expire.

A multiple-entry visa allows visitors to come and go from Canada, usually for six months at a time, without having to reapply. It is valid for up to 10 years, or one month before your passport expires, whichever comes first. You must arrive in Canada on or before the expiry date on your visa.

A single-entry visa allows you to come to Canada only once. After you leave Canada, excluding travel to the United States and St. Pierre and Miquelon, you will need a new visa to travel back to Canada.