Canada Visa Eligibility and Requirements
Before applying for the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) you must make sure to have a valid passport from a visa-exempt country, an email address that is valid and working and credit/debit card for online payment.
What is the Canada Visa Application?
The Canada visa online or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) acts as an entry requirement, linked electronically to the traveller’s passport, for nationals travelling from the visa-exempt countries to Canada.
The validity of the Canada visa online or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is up to five years. However, the visa will expire when the applicant’s passport expires. Therefore, the eTA will expire if the applicant’s passport has a validity of less than five years.
Please note that if you get a new passport, you must simultaneously apply for a new Canada eTA.
Note: Entry into Canada cannot be guaranteed by an eTA. A border services officer will ask to see your passport and other documents when you arrive, and to successfully enter Canada you must convince the officer that you are eligible for the eTA.
Visiting Canada is simpler than ever since Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has introduced the simplified and streamlined process of obtaining electronic travel authorisation or Online Canada Visa. Online Canada Visa is an travel permit or electronic travel authorization to enter and visit Canada for a period of less than 6 months for tourism or business. International tourists must have a Canada eTA to be able to enter Canada and explore this beautiful country. Foreign citizens can apply for an Online Canada Visa Application in a matter of minutes. Online Canada Visa Application process is automated, simple, and completely online.
Who are eligible to apply for the Canada Visa Application?
The Canada Visa Eligibility will be given to travellers from visa-exempt countries as they need to apply for the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). These countries include:
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belgium
- British citizen
- British National (Overseas)
- British overseas citizens who are re-admissible to the United Kingdom.
- Citizens of the British overseas territory having citizenship through birth, descent, naturalization or registration in one of the British overseas territories of:
- Anguilla
- Bermuda
- The British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
- Gibraltar
- Montserrat
- Pitcairn Island
- Saint Helena
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- A British Subject who resides 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; applicants must have a passport issued by Hong Kong SAR.
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel; applicants 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
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan (the applicants must possess a passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes the personal identification number)
- United Arab Emirates
Note: Travellers from the above-mentioned countries will mainly need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to board their flight to Canada. However, in case of arriving visa sea or land, they would NOT need an eTA.
READ MORE:
Learn about next steps, after you have successfully applied for eTA Canada Visa. After you apply for Online Canada Visa: Next steps
Who are exempt from applying for the Canada Visa Application?
- U.S. citizens. However, must present proper identification such as a valid U.S. passport.
- Residents with valid status in the United States who are lawful permanent residents
- Travellers with a valid Canadian visa.
- Travellers with valid status in Canada (for instance, visitor, student or worker). They must have re-entered Canada after visiting only the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon.
- French citizens living in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and are flying directly to Canada from there.
- Passengers destined for, or coming from, the United States on flights that stop in Canada for refueling, and:
- The applicant has proper documents to enter the United States or
- was lawfully admitted to the United States.
- A foreign national who is travelling on a flight that makes an unscheduled stop in Canada.
- Foreign nationals transiting through a Canadian airport under the Transit Without Visa or China Transit Program.
- Flight crew, civil aviation inspectors, and accident investigators who will be working in Canada.
- Members of Armed Forces (not including the civilian component of armed forces) of a country designated under the Visiting Forces Act, coming to Canada for carrying out official duties.
- Diplomats accredited by the Government of Canada.
Who cannot apply for the Canada Visa Application?
Travellers from the following categories cannot apply for a Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) and must present some other identification document, to enter Canada:
- Canadian citizens, including dual citizens. These categories of travellers are required to present a valid Canadian passport, and the American-Canadians can also travel by presenting a valid passport from either of the countries (Canada, USA).
- Canadian permanent residents. These categories of travellers are required to present a valid permanent resident card or permanent resident travel document for entry.
- Visa-required countries, including the holders of alien passports and stateless individuals. The following visa-required countries need a visa to enter Canada and cannot apply for an eTA:
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Burkina Faso
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon, Republic of
- Cape Verde
- The 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
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Israel (applicants must possess 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 temporary passport that does not have an electronic component, such as the 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; applicants must have passports other than ordinary passports issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that mandatory 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
READ MORE:
The Canada visa online or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) acts as an entry requirement, linked electronically to the traveller’s passport, for nationals travelling from the visa-exempt countries to Canada. Canada Visa Application
What information is required in the Canada Visa Application?
The Canada Electronic Travel Authorization form (eTA) itself is quite straightforward and easy to complete in a couple of minutes. There is the information required from the applicants under the following major categories:
- Travel document
- Passport details
- Personal details
- Employment information
- Contact information
- Residential address
- Travel information
- Consent and Declaration
- Signature of the applicant
- Payment details
- Approval confirmation
Please note that you can also apply for the eTA from our website as we also provide translation services to Spanish, German, and Danish, and also file format translation.
When should I complete the Canada Visa Application?
The Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) approval usually takes minutes to be sent to the applicant via email. Hence, it is recommended to get your Canada eTA before booking your flight to Canada.
However, it is still safe to apply a few days before booking your flight ticket, in case of being asked to submit supporting documents, the application might take several days to process.
What is the processing time for my Canada Visa Application?
The Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) approval usually takes minutes to be sent to the applicant via email. However, in some cases of being asked to submit supporting documents, the application might take several days to process.
How can I complete the Canada Visa Application?
Before applying for the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) you must make sure to have the following documents:
- A valid passport from a visa-exempt country. Please note that lawful permanent residents of the United States are exempt from the eTA requirement.
- An email address that is valid and working.
- Any one of the following acceptable methods of payment for the eTA fee:
- Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or a pre-paid Visa, Mastercard or American Express,
- Visa Debit, or Debit Mastercard,
- UnionPay, or
- JCB Card.
Eligible applicants can obtain a Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) in just a few minutes by following some simple steps given below:
- Apply for the Online Canada Visa.
- Fill out all the details asked in the online Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) form, including basic details regarding the type of document to be used, passport details, personal details, Personal details, Employment information, Contact information, Residential address, Travel information, Consent and Declaration, and the Signature of the applicant.
- The applicant might also be required to answer a few questions.
- Proceed to make the payment for your eTA using your valid debit or credit card that has been authorised for online payments.
Please make sure to double-check and submit the form at once, as the Canada eTA form cannot be saved. Hence, to avoid filling it up again from the beginning, try to fill up the form at once.
Note: Before submitting the eTA form, the applicants must carefully double-check all the information provided for it to be correct and free of errors, especially the passport number that has been provided.
This is because in case the applicant enters the wrong passport number the eTA might be rejected.
What are the documents required for my Canada Visa Application?
The following are the documents required to apply for the Canada Visa Online or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA):
- A valid passport from a visa-exempt country. Please note that lawful permanent residents of the United States are exempt from the eTA requirement.
- An email address that is valid and working.
- Any one of the following acceptable methods of payment for the eTA fee:
- Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or a pre-paid Visa, Mastercard or American Express,
- Visa Debit, or Debit Mastercard,
- UnionPay, or
- JCB Card.
How long does it take to complete the Canada Visa Application?
The Canada Visa online or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) takes around 5-7 minutes to complete before making an online payment. The online application is an easy and fast process.
You just need to have a valid passport, access to a device with a reliable internet connection, an active and working email address, and a valid debit or credit card that has been authorised for online payments to pay the fee for the eTA.
If there are any issues in completing the online application, you can contact the Help Desk and Customer Support team on this website using the Contact Us link
READ MORE:
The Tourist Visa for Canada or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) acts as an entry requirement, linked electronically to the traveller’s passport, for nationals travelling from the visa-exempt countries to Canada. Learn more at Canada Tourist Visa.
What happens after completing the Canada Visa Application?
After completing your Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), you will receive an email related to the eTA approval within minutes. However, in some cases of being asked to submit supporting documents, the application might take several days to process.
In that case, an email within 72 hours of applying will be sent to the applicant regarding the next steps to be followed to apply and receive the eTA.
Once your eTA has been approved you will receive an email regarding this to the email id provided during your application. The approval email will include your exclusive eTA number.
Make sure to keep this number in case you need any help regarding your eTA.
Entry into Canada cannot be guaranteed by an eTA. A border services officer will ask to see your passport and other documents when you arrive, and to successfully enter Canada you must convince the officer that you are eligible for the eTA.
In case you pass the identity check, and health assessment, while meeting all the entry requirements, the border services officer will stamp your passport and will let you know how long you can stay in Canada.
Please make sure to ask questions if you are not sure about something. The border officers will not process your Canada eTA if you provide false or incomplete information. You must make sure to convince the officer that:
- You are eligible for entry into Canada
- You will leave the country once your approved period of stay ends..
What is the validity period of the Emergency Canada Visa Application?
The Urgent Canada visa application or the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) has a validity offive (5) years.
Normally, a stay of up to 6 months is allowed. In some cases, however, officers may limit or extend your stay in Canada based on the planned purpose of your visit.
Does the Canada Visa Application guarantee entry into Canada?
The Canada Visa Eligibility for the Canada eTA does not guarantee entry into Canada. Hence, entry into Canada cannot be guaranteed by an eTA.
A border services officer will ask to see your passport and other documents when you arrive, and to successfully enter Canada you must convince the officer that you are eligible for the eTA.
In case you pass the identity check, and health assessment, the border services officer will stamp your passport and will let you know how long you can stay in Canada.
Please make sure to ask questions if you are not sure about something. The border officers will not process your Canada eTA if you provide false or incomplete information. You must make sure to convince the officer that:
- You are eligible for entry into Canada
- You will leave the country once your approved period of stay ends.
What is the validity period of the Canada Visa Application?
The applicants getting the Canada Visa Eligibility for the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) has a validity of five (5) years.
Normally, a stay of up to 6 months is allowed. In some cases, however, officers may limit or extend your stay in Canada based on the planned purpose of your visit.
What happens if I provide the wrong passport number for the Canada Visa Application?
You must apply for a new Canada eTA.
What happens if I provide the wrong passport number for the Canada Visa Application?
In case of providing the wrong passport number, you may not be able to board your flight to Canada.
In this case, you will have to re-apply for the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) with the correct passport number. However, getting an eTA last minute might not be possible, if you are required to submit supporting documents.
Do children need to obtain an Emergency Canada Visa Application?
Yes, they are required to apply for the Emergency Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). There is no age exemption for the Canada eTA and, all the eligible eTA-required travellers, regardless of their age, are required to get an eTA for entry into Canada.
The children are required to follow the same rules for entry into Canada, as the adults.
Note: Minors entering Canada without the proper documents, or who are with adults other than their parents or legal guardian(s), will be checked more closely. Please make sure to have the proper documents with you, to travel to Canada without any hassle.
Can I apply for the Canada Visa Application as a group?
No, you cannot. The Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is a single document and, each family member must apply for a separate eTA. Applying for more than one eTA at a time is not allowed.
Do I need to apply for the Canada Visa Application every time I visit Canada?
No, you need not apply for the Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) every time you enter Canada. Once, the eTA gets approved it will be valid for five years, and you can use it to enter Canada, as many times as required, within the five years validity of your eTA.
Check your eligibility for Online Canada Visa and apply for eTA Canada Visa 3 days in advance of your flight. British citizens, Italian citizens, Spanish citizens, French citizens, Israeli citizens, South Korean citizens, Portuguese citizens, and Chilean citizens can apply online for eTA Canada Visa. Should you need any help or require any clarifications you should contact our helpdesk for support and guidance.
