Eligibility

You either need a visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to, or transit through, a Canadian airport. You only need one or the other, not both.

Who needs an eTA to travel to Canada?

You need an eTA if you’re a:

• Visa-exempt foreign national and you’re flying to or transiting through a Canadian airport

• As a visa-exempt foreign national, you do NOT need an eTA (or a visitor visa) when arriving by car, bus, train or boat (including a cruise ship).

You may be eligible to apply for an eTA (instead of a visitor visa) if you’re a:

• Citizen from select visa-required countries and you’re travelling to Canada by air.

• However, you still need visitor visa (not an eTA) when arriving by car, bus, train, or boat, including a cruise ship.

Canadian citizens

If you’re a dual Canadian citizen, you must travel with a valid Canadian passport.

American-Canadians can travel with a valid Canadian or U.S. passport.

Canadian permanent residents

You don’t need an eTA or a visitor visa if you’re a Canadian permanent resident. However, you must travel with a valid permanent resident card or permanent resident travel document.

Important – former residents of Canada: Permanent resident (PR) status does not expire. If you once lived in Canada, even if it was many years ago, you could still have PR status. Learn more to avoid travel delays.

Visa-required travellers

You don’t need an eTA if you’re visa-required, including alien’s passport holders and stateless individuals. You need to travel with a visitor visa.

Travellers who are exempt from the eTA requirement

U.S. citizens are exempt from the eTA requirement and must carry proper identification such as a valid U.S. passport.

As of April 26, 2022, lawful permanent residents of the United States are also exempt from the eTA requirement and must show these documents for all methods of travel to Canada:

• a valid passport from their country of nationality (or an equivalent acceptable travel document) and

• a valid green card (or equivalent valid proof of status in the United States)

See the complete list of eTA exemptions.

Basic requirements to enter Canada

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

• have a valid travel document, such as a passport

• have a valid eTA or visitor visa

• be in good health

• have no criminal or immigration-related convictions

• convince a border services officer that you have ties—such as a job, home, financial assets or family—that will take you back to your home country

• convince a border services officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit

• 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.)

Inadmissibility

An eTA doesn’t guarantee entry to Canada. When you arrive, a border services officer will ask to see your passport and other documents. You must convince the officer that you’re eligible for entry to Canada.

Several things can make you inadmissible, including involvement in criminal activity, in human rights violations or in organized crime.

You can also be inadmissible for security, health or financial reasons. Find out more about inadmissibility.

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

On this page

• Canadian citizens

• Canadian permanent residents

• U.S. citizens

• Lawful permanent residents of the U.S.

• Visa-exempt travellers

• eTA exemptions

• Visa-required travellers

• Workers and students

• Visiting your children and grandchildren in Canada

Canadian citizens

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

Canadian permanent residents need a valid permanent resident card or permanent resident travel document.

U.S. citizens

U.S. citizens must carry proper identification such as a valid U.S. passport.

Lawful permanent residents of the U.S.

As of April 26, 2022, lawful permanent residents of the United States must show these documents for all methods of travel to Canada:

• a valid passport from their country of nationality (or an equivalent acceptable travel document) and

• a valid green card (or equivalent valid proof of status in the United States)

Visa-exempt (eTA eligible) travellers

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

• 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 travellers

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

• 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)

• 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

Workers and students

If you’re a worker or student, you must also meet Canada’s entry requirements. A work permit or study permit is not a visa. In most cases, you’ll also need a valid visitor visa or eTA to enter Canada.

If you’re applying for your first study or work permit

We’ll automatically issue you a visa or eTA if you need one and we approve your application. When you travel to Canada make sure you have:

• your letter of introduction

• valid passport or travel document

• if you’re visa-required, it must contain the visa sticker that we put in it

• if you need an eTA and you’re flying to a Canadian airport, it must be the passport that’s electronically link to your eTA.

If you already have a work or study permit

If you’re visa-required, make sure that your visitor visa is still valid if you choose to leave Canada and re-enter.

If you need an eTA and you’re flying to a Canadian airport, make sure you travel with the passport that’s electronically linked to your eTA.

You must travel with your valid study or work permit, a valid passport and travel document.

If you’re eligible to work or study without a permit

If you’re eligible to work or study without a permit, you’re considered a visitor to Canada. You must meet the entry requirements for travellers from your country of citizenship.

Visiting your children and grandchildren in Canada

If you’re the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or a Canadian permanent resident, you may be eligible for a super visa. A super visa lets you visit your children or grandchildren for up to 5 years at a time. It’s a visa that provides multiple entries for a period up to 10 years. When you enter Canada, a border services officer will confirm how long you can stay.