Canada visa and entry requirements

Canada requires visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling by air to hold an eTA (CAD 7, valid for up to five years or until the passport expires), and exempts US citizens from both the eTA and the visitor visa. Travellers from visa-required countries need a visitor visa (temporary resident visa, CAD 100), though citizens of select visa-required countries may be eligible to apply for an eTA instead when flying. IRCC says most visitors can stay for up to 6 months.

Every fact on this page verified on or after: Aug 25, 2026· How this site works

Check requirements for your passport

Requirements differ by nationality. Select your passport above, or scan the full table below.

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Visas & entry authorisations

Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

Fee
7 CAD
Processing
—
Stay per entry
180 days

Paid online; IRCC says you need a credit card to complete the form. Required to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport; not needed when arriving by car, bus, train or boat. IRCC says an eTA is valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first.

Apply on the official site Verified Oct 7, 2026 · canada.ca

Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa)

Fee
100 CAD
Processing
—
Stay per entry
180 days

Plus a CAD 85 biometrics fee where biometrics are required. IRCC says a visitor visa may generally be valid for up to 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, and that most visitors can stay for up to 6 months.

Apply on the official site Verified Oct 7, 2026 · laws-lois.justice.gc.ca · Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227), Section 296(1) · archived copy

Entry requirements

Passport validity

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) tells visitor visa applicants that their passport or travel document should be valid for at least 6 months from the date they plan to travel. The UK Foreign Office says your passport must be valid for the length of your planned stay in Canada.

Verified Oct 9, 2026 · canada.ca · gov.uk says Your passport must be valid for the length of your planned stay in Canada.Compare every country

Vaccinations

Not officially stated

No official source we read lists a vaccination certificate required for entry.

Travel insurance

Not officially stated

No official source we could read makes travel insurance an entry requirement for visitors. The UK FCDO says medical treatment can be very expensive, that there are no special arrangements for British visitors, and advises insurance for local treatment or unexpected medical evacuation.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.uk

Onward or return ticket

Not officially stated

No official source we could read requires a return or onward ticket. The UK FCDO says Canadian border officials may ask you to show a return or onward ticket. IRCC says you must convince a border services officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit.

Verified Oct 6, 2026 · gov.uk

Proof of funds

Required

IRCC says you must have enough money for your stay; the amount varies with how long you stay and whether you stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. You must also convince a border services officer that you have ties, such as a job, home, financial assets or family, that will take you home.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · canada.ca

Staying past your permitted stay

A foreign national who fails to leave Canada by the end of the period authorized for their stay is issued an exclusion order. An exclusion order obliges the person to obtain written authorization to return to Canada during the 1-year period after it was enforced.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · laws-lois.justice.gc.ca · Immigration and Refugee Protection RegulationsCompare every country

Other compulsory government charges

  • Air Travellers Security Charge — $16.08 for each chargeable emplanement, to a maximum of $32.16, in the cases set out in the Act; $34.42 if the service includes transportation to a destination outside the continental zone. The Act does not name the currency. Included in the air ticket.

    Every person who acquires from a designated air carrier an air transportation service that includes a chargeable emplanement pays the Air Travellers Security Charge, and the air carrier collects it. The Act sets $34.42 if the service includes transportation to a destination outside the continental zone, and $16.08 per chargeable emplanement, to a maximum of $32.16, in other cases it sets out. The Act does not name the currency.

Verified Oct 12, 2026 · laws-lois.justice.gc.ca · Air Travellers Security Charge ActCompare every country

Customs & currency

The Canada Border Services Agency says any time you cross the border you must declare currency or monetary instruments valued at CAD 10,000 or more, in any combination of Canadian or foreign currency and monetary instruments.

  • The Canada Border Services Agency says you must declare all food, plants, animal and related products you import. The UK FCDO says the Canadian authorities will confiscate banned food products and you could get a fine.
  • The UK FCDO says it is illegal to take cannabis across the Canadian border without a permit or exemption authorised by Health Canada, even though recreational cannabis is legally available in Canada.
  • The Canada Border Services Agency says you must declare all weapons and firearms at the port of entry, or the goods may be seized and you could face prosecution.
Verified Oct 3, 2026 · cbsa-asfc.gc.ca · archived copy

Country in a nutshell

Currency
Canadian dollar (CAD, $)
Safety — Generally safe
The UK FCDO advises precautions against petty crime, such as not leaving bags unattended and keeping luggage out of sight in cars. It says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Canada. Winter storms, including freezing rain and blizzards, are frequent in many parts of Canada from November to April and can make driving dangerous; there is particular risk of wildfire in summer, and emergency medical assistance and search and rescue are limited in remote Arctic areas.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · gov.uk
Power plugs
A, B · 120V 60Hz
Emergency numbers
General emergencies: 911
Languages
English, French
Time zone
UTC-8 to UTC-3:30 (some areas observe summer time)
International Driving Permit

Canada is a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic (UN Treaty Collection). The UK government says traffic laws vary between provinces and territories, including driving licence requirements, and that you may need to get an international driving permit. Ontario's Ministry of Transportation says that if you are visiting Ontario for less than 3 months you can use a valid driver’s licence from your own province, state or country, and that if you will be visiting from another country for more than 3 months you will need an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) from your own country. No official source we could read states the rule for Canada as a whole.

Verified Oct 3, 2026 · treaties.un.org · Convention on Road Traffic Compare every country

Best time to visit

No official source we could read gives a best time to visit. The UK FCDO says winter storms are frequent from November to April, summer thunderstorms particularly between April and September, and that hurricanes can affect coastal areas from July to November.

Tips & warnings

IRCC says its official page to apply for an eTA is on canada.ca and that an eTA costs only CAD 7. The UK FCDO says some unauthorised websites charge for submitting visa applications.

The eTA is only for air travel. IRCC says visa-exempt foreign nationals do not need an eTA when arriving by car, bus, train or boat (including a cruise ship).

The UK FCDO says it is illegal to take cannabis across the Canadian border without a permit or exemption authorised by Health Canada, and that people who attempt to take cannabis out of Canada without the relevant permit face arrest.

Visa requirements by nationality

PassportsVisas & entry authorisationsMax stay
AfghanistanVisa required—
AlbaniaVisa required—
AlgeriaVisa required—
AndorraETA180 days
AngolaVisa required—
Antigua and BarbudaVisa required—
ArgentinaVisa required—
ArmeniaVisa required—
AustraliaETA180 days
AustriaETA180 days
AzerbaijanVisa required—
BahamasETA180 days
BahrainVisa required—
BangladeshVisa required—
BarbadosETA180 days
BelarusVisa required—
BelgiumETA180 days
BelizeVisa required—
BeninVisa required—
BhutanVisa required—
BoliviaVisa required—
Bosnia and HerzegovinaVisa required—
BotswanaVisa required—
BrazilVisa required—
BruneiETA180 days
BulgariaETA180 days
Burkina FasoVisa required—
BurundiVisa required—
Cabo VerdeVisa required—
CambodiaVisa required—
CameroonVisa required—
CanadaFree movement—
Central African RepublicVisa required—
ChadVisa required—
ChileETA180 days
ChinaVisa required—
ColombiaVisa required—
ComorosVisa required—
Costa RicaVisa required—
Côte d'IvoireVisa required—
CroatiaETA180 days
CubaVisa required—
CyprusETA180 days
CzechiaETA180 days
Democratic Republic of the CongoVisa required—
DenmarkETA180 days
DjiboutiVisa required—
DominicaVisa required—
Dominican RepublicVisa required—
EcuadorVisa required—
EgyptVisa required—
El SalvadorVisa required—
Equatorial GuineaVisa required—
EritreaVisa required—
EstoniaETA180 days
EswatiniVisa required—
EthiopiaVisa required—
FijiVisa required—
FinlandETA180 days
FranceETA180 days
GabonVisa required—
GambiaVisa required—
GeorgiaVisa required—
GermanyETA180 days
GhanaVisa required—
GreeceETA180 days
GrenadaVisa required—
GuatemalaVisa required—
GuineaVisa required—
Guinea-BissauVisa required—
GuyanaVisa required—
HaitiVisa required—
HondurasVisa required—
Hong KongETA180 days
HungaryETA180 days
IcelandETA180 days
IndiaVisa required—
IndonesiaVisa required—
IranVisa required—
IraqVisa required—
IrelandETA180 days
IsraelETA180 days
ItalyETA180 days
JamaicaVisa required—
JapanETA180 days
JordanVisa required—
KazakhstanVisa required—
KenyaVisa required—
KiribatiVisa required—
KosovoVisa required—
KuwaitVisa required—
KyrgyzstanVisa required—
LaosVisa required—
LatviaETA180 days
LebanonVisa required—
LesothoVisa required—
LiberiaVisa required—
LibyaVisa required—
LiechtensteinETA180 days
LithuaniaETA180 days
LuxembourgETA180 days
MacauVisa required—
MadagascarVisa required—
MalawiVisa required—
MalaysiaVisa required—
MaldivesVisa required—
MaliVisa required—
MaltaETA180 days
Marshall IslandsVisa required—
MauritaniaVisa required—
MauritiusVisa required—
MexicoVisa required—
MicronesiaVisa required—
MoldovaVisa required—
MonacoETA180 days
MongoliaVisa required—
MontenegroVisa required—
MoroccoVisa required—
MozambiqueVisa required—
MyanmarVisa required—
NamibiaVisa required—
NauruVisa required—
NepalVisa required—
NetherlandsETA180 days
New ZealandETA180 days
NicaraguaVisa required—
NigerVisa required—
NigeriaVisa required—
North KoreaVisa required—
North MacedoniaVisa required—
NorwayETA180 days
OmanVisa required—
PakistanVisa required—
PalauVisa required—
PalestineVisa required—
PanamaVisa required—
Papua New GuineaETA180 days
ParaguayVisa required—
PeruVisa required—
PhilippinesVisa required—
PolandETA180 days
PortugalETA180 days
QatarETA180 days
Republic of the CongoVisa required—
RomaniaETA180 days
RussiaVisa required—
RwandaVisa required—
Saint Kitts and NevisVisa required—
Saint LuciaVisa required—
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa required—
SamoaETA180 days
San MarinoETA180 days
São Tomé and PríncipeVisa required—
Saudi ArabiaVisa required—
SenegalVisa required—
SerbiaVisa required—
SeychellesVisa required—
Sierra LeoneVisa required—
SingaporeETA180 days
SlovakiaETA180 days
SloveniaETA180 days
Solomon IslandsETA180 days
SomaliaVisa required—
South AfricaVisa required—
South KoreaETA180 days
South SudanVisa required—
SpainETA180 days
Sri LankaVisa required—
SudanVisa required—
SurinameVisa required—
SwedenETA180 days
SwitzerlandETA180 days
SyriaVisa required—
TaiwanETA180 days
TajikistanVisa required—
TanzaniaVisa required—
ThailandVisa required—
Timor-LesteVisa required—
TogoVisa required—
TongaVisa required—
Trinidad and TobagoVisa required—
TunisiaVisa required—
TurkeyVisa required—
TurkmenistanVisa required—
TuvaluVisa required—
UgandaVisa required—
UkraineVisa required—
United Arab EmiratesETA180 days
United KingdomETA180 days
United StatesVisa-free180 days
UruguayVisa required—
UzbekistanVisa required—
VanuatuVisa required—
Vatican CityETA180 days
VenezuelaVisa required—
VietnamVisa required—
YemenVisa required—
ZambiaVisa required—
ZimbabweVisa required—

Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.

United States6 of 199 passports visa-free · 42 eVisa/ETAMexico64 of 199 passports visa-free · 3 eVisa/ETABrazil103 of 199 passports visa-free · 3 eVisa/ETA

Frequently asked questions

Do US citizens need an eTA or visa for Canada?

No. Canada's immigration regulations exempt US nationals from the requirement to obtain a visitor (temporary resident) visa, and IRCC says U.S. citizens are exempt from the eTA requirement and must carry proper identification such as a valid U.S. passport. The same regulations set a visitor's authorized stay at six months or another period fixed by an officer.

What is the Canadian eTA and how much does it cost?

The Electronic Travel Authorization is an entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air. IRCC says it costs CAD 7, most applicants get approval within minutes, and it is valid for up to five years or until your passport expires.

Do Mexican citizens need a visa for Canada?

It depends. Mexico is on IRCC's list of eligible visa-required countries: Mexicans may apply for an eTA if they have held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years or currently hold a valid US non-immigrant visa, and are flying to or transiting through a Canadian airport. Otherwise they need a visitor visa (temporary resident visa, CAD 100).

How long can I stay in Canada as a visitor?

IRCC says most visitors can stay up to 6 months, and the border services officer may allow you to stay for less or more. If your passport is not stamped, you can stay until 6 months from entry, the expiry of your biometrics or the expiry of your passport, whichever comes first. To stay longer, you need to apply for a visitor record before your current status expires.

Do I need an eTA if I enter Canada by car from the US?

No. The eTA is an entry requirement for visa-exempt travellers arriving by air. IRCC says visa-exempt travellers do not need an eTA when arriving by car, bus, train or boat; travellers from select visa-required countries who may use an eTA by air need a visitor visa when arriving that way.

Sources & verification

Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us, with the official source