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 Statesmust 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
- 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.
Electronic passport holders only
Look on the front cover of your passport for the symbol of a rectangle with a circle in the middle. If you see this symbol, you have an electronic passport.
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.
Note: Holders of a foreign national passport and stateless individuals need a visa to visit or transit through Canada.
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda (Some citizens of Antigua and Barbuda may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- Argentina (Some citizens of Argentina may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil (Some citizens of Brazil may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- Burkina Faso
- 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 (Some citizens of Costa Rica may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- 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
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives Islands
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico (Some citizens of Mexico may be eligible for an eTA if theymeet certain requirements.)
- Micronesia, Fed. States
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco (Some citizens of Morocco may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Macedonia
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestinian Authority
- Panama (Some citizens of Panama may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines (Some citizens of the Philippines may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- 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 (Some citizens of the Seychelles may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- St. Kitts and Nevis (Some citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- St. Lucia (Some citizens of St. Lucia may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines (St. Vincent) (Some citizens of St. Vincent and the Grenadines may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- Sudan
- Surinam
- Syria
- Taiwan, must have a passport other than an ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes their personal identification number
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand (Some citizens of Thailand may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago (Some citizens of Trinidad and Tobago may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uruguay (Some citizens of Uruguay may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements.)
- 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 child or grandchild in Canada
If you’re the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, you may be eligible for asuper visa. A super visa lets you visit your child or grandchild in Canada for 5years at a time. Additionally, this visa allows for multiple entries to Canada and is valid for up to 10years.
