- November 14, 2022
Canada has a lot to offer for tourism and leisure. If you are coming from abroad and planning to visit Canada for tourism, to reconnect with friends or a family member, you might need either an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a Visitor Visa.
Here are the answers to frequently asked questions about visiting Canada:
- What is a Canada Visitor Visa?
- Who needs a Canada Visitor Visa?
- What are the requirements for a Canada Visitor Visa?
- How can I apply for a Canada Visitor Visa?
- How much does a Canada Visitor Visa cost?
- How long does it take to get a Canada Visitor Visa?
- How Long Can I Stay in Canada on a Canada Visitor Visa?
What is a Canada Visitor Visa?
A Visitor Visa is also referred to as a Temporary Resident Visa, and it consists of a document used for tourists to enter Canada on a temporary basis.
After you successfully submit your application and all required documents, the Canada Visitor Visa will be added to your passport.
How Can We Help?
Immigration.ca can help with your Canada visit visa application. Complete our Telephone consultation to receive a legal study of your qualifications for a visitor visa to Canada.
Who Needs a Canada Visitor Visa?
For entering Canada as a visitor, you may need a Canada visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). The entry document you need depends on:
- The type of travel document you plan to travel with.
- The country that issued your travel document.
- Your nationality.
- Your method of travel to Canada for this trip.
The easiest way to discover the document required to be stamped on your passport is by consulting your nationality.
| Country and condition | Visitor Visa or eTA requirement |
Andorra Austria Bahamas Barbados Belgium Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Chile Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Republic of Korea Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Mexico Monaco Netherlands Norway Papua New Guinea Poland Portugal Samoa San Marino Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Spain Sweden United Arab Emirates | Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) |
Israel (must have a national Israeli passport) Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (must have a passport issued by Hong Kong SAR) Romania (electronic passport holders only) Taiwan (must have an ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes the personal identification number) Vatican City State, must have a passport or travel document issued by the Vatican. | Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) |
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 | Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) |
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 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 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 Qatar Romania (holder of a non-electronic passport, such as a temporary passport) Russia Rwanda Sao Tome e Principe Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia 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 passport 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 |
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What Are The Requirements For A Canada Visitor Visa?
There are a few requirements to qualify for a Canada Visitor Visa. Some of them are:
- Present a valid travel document, such as a passport.
- Prove that you are in good health.
- Have no criminal or immigration-related convictions.
- Prove to an immigration officer that you have ties with your home country, which might be a job, a property, financial assets, or family.
- Convince an immigration officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit.
- Prove that you have enough money for your stay.
How Can I Apply For A Canada Visitor Visa?
The process for acquiring a Canada Visitor Visa can be made online or at a Visa Application Center (VAC). It involves filling several forms and the complexity might depend on additional requirements made by Canadian Immigration offices.
In summary, there are 5 main steps for applying for a Canada Visitor Visa:
- Check your eligibility for the Canada Visitor Visa.
- Collect and submit the documents required.
- Submit the Canada Visitor Visa Application form.
- Wait for processing and provide any required additional information.
- Send your passport for stamping.
Please be careful when consulting information and sending documents. Make sure to only follow instructions provided by a recognized immigration law firm or the official channels of the Canadian government.
Do you need help applying for a Canada Visitor Visa? Please fill in this form and allow us to help you.
How Much Does A Canada Visitor Visa Cost?
Here are the main fees for obtaining a Canada Visitor Visa:
- Application fee of CAD$ 100.
- Biometrics fees of CAD$ 85 per person (if required).
- Passport processing fees of around CAD$ 45.
Keep in mind that additional costs might be added, such as transportation to access the Visa Application Center (VAC), where you will collect your biometrics. Check the closest VAC on your location on this link.
All dependents, such as your spouse and minor children, that will accompany you in your travel must have their own application and should pay separate fees. You can submit all applications together so that you are processed as a family.
How Long Does It Take To Get A Canada Visitor Visa?
There is a wide range of processing time, and it will be different according to the country from which you are applying from.
Check the average of processing time by country below. Please keep in mind that the processing time below does not include:
- The time it takes to send an application between a visa application center and IRCC office.
- The time you need to give your biometrics.
Processing times | |
Country | Average number of days |
Saudi Arabia | 211 to 220 days |
Benin | 171 to 180 days |
Afghanistan | 161 to 170 days |
India Nigeria Pakistan | 151 to 160 days |
Ethiopia | 141 to 150 days |
Kenya | 111 to 120 days |
Bangladesh Iran | 101 to 110 days |
Albania Egypt Philippines Singapore Sudan | 91 to 100 days |
Andorra Anguilla Aruba Barbados Belize Bhutan Brunei Burma (Myanmar) Cabo Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Cuba Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ghana Guatemala Guinea-Bissau Haiti Holy See Honduras Iceland Jamaica Kyrgyzstan Laos Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Macao Maldives Martinique Monaco Morocco Nepal Oman Papua New Guinea Paraguay Puerto Rico San Marino Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Sudan St. Kitts and Nevis Tajikistan Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu US Virgin Islands Vanuatu Venezuela Yemen | 81 to 90 days |
Bahrain Cambodia Costa Rica Côte d’Ivoire El Salvador Kuwait Malaysia Mexico Nicaragua Niger Palestinian Authority (Gaza) Palestinian Authority (West Bank) Panama Thailand Uganda Vietnam | 71 to 80 days |
Algeria Angola Burkina Faso Cameroon Congo Democratic Republic of Congo Gabon Iraq Japan Jordan Kosovo Mali Qatar South Korea Syria Tanzania | 61 to 70 days |
Australia Azerbaijan Belarus Botswana Burundi Fiji France Guinea Hong Kong Hungary Indonesia Kazakhstan Lebanon Luxembourg Mauritius Mongolia Mozambique New Zealand Poland Romania Rwanda Serbia Sri Lanka Ukraine United Arab Emirates Zambia | 51 to 60 days |
Argentina Armenia Austria Bosnia and Herzegovina Brazil Bulgaria Chad Chile China Croatia Estonia Gambia Germany Latvia Lithuania Madagascar Moldova Montenegro Namibia Russia Slovakia South Africa Swaziland Switzerland Taiwan Turkey United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Zimbabwe | 41 to 50 days |
Colombia Czech Republic Ecuador Georgia Guyana Macedonia Malawi Portugal Spain Sweden Trinidad and Tobago | 31 to 40 days |
Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Belgium Bermuda Bolivia Cyprus Denmark Greece Grenada Ireland Israel Italy Malta Mauritania Netherlands Peru Slovenia St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 21 to 30 days |
Finland Norway Suriname | 11 to 20 days |
United Kingdom | 1 to 10 days |
Bonaire British Virgin Islands Comoros Island Kiribati Marshall Islands Federal States of Micronesia Nauru New Caledonia North Korea Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Solomon Islands Tahiti | No processing time available |
Please note: Processing times change according to demand. This table has been updated July 14, 2022.
How Long Can I Stay In Canada On A Canada Visitor Visa?
Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months in Canada. The border services officer might put the date you need to leave by in your passport.
Contact us for further information and assistance.
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