Since Canada is a developed nation, many people desire to visit it for a variety of reasons, but they frequently wonder, “Do I need a visa to visit Canada?” or “What am I going to need in Canada?” Although certain nationalities just require an Electronic Travel Authorization for Canada or are totally exempt and can travel freely with their passports without having a visa, the majority of individuals will need a Canadian visa to gain admission. Who need a visa to travel to Canada will be covered in full in this article. What Sets up Whether a Visa is Required for Canada? There are several variables that affect whether you require a visa for Canada or not. Consider these factors while deciding if you need a visa to enter Canada:
- What type of travel document you will travel with (passport, national identification document, driver’s license, etc.).
- The country that issued that travel document.
- Your nationality.
- How you will travel to Canada (air, sea, or land).
The best way to go to Canada is with a passport, and depending on the nation that granted it, you may choose how to do so. The nations that require a Canadian visa, those that simply require a travel authorisation, and the categories of persons who are exempt from visa requirements are covered in the sections that follow.
What nationalities need a visa for Canada?
Approximately 148 nations require a visa to enter Canada. Depending on why they wish to travel, the citizens of these nations will need to go through the visa application procedure. They are able to get a variety of visas, including those for traveling, studying, working, and even immigrating. For entry into Canada, citizens of the following nations will require a visa:
require a visa:
| 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) |
| British subjects, subject to control | 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 | North 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 |
| Kitts and Nevis | Lucia | 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 |
Which countries require a Canada eTA?
Some nations have more global mobility, hence they might not require a visa to enter Canada. Nevertheless, they will require an electronic travel authorisation.
Canada has built this system electronically as a result of technological advancements. The applicants will simply need to provide their personal information, and the system will determine if they are permitted to enter Canada based on information it gathers from various databases.
Only if they are flying to Canada will citizens of these nations require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). They can enter Canada without an eTA and only require their passports if they are traveling to Canada by land or water rather than by air.
Which Countries don’t require a visa to enter Canada?
Finally, there are situations when certain persons might not need either a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), in addition to the nations that require both.
These organizations are exempt from Canada’s visa requirements:
- Those who hold a current visa for Canada obtained through a prior application;
- Those who reside in Canada legally and have traveled outside to the US or St. Pierre and Miquelon;
- Traveling straight from Saint Pierre and Miquelon to Canada are
French nationals who reside in Saint Pierre and Miquelon; - Foreign nationals traveling to or from the United States on an aircraft that must stop in Canada for fuel and who possess the following documents: Valid entry visas;
- Possess legal entry status in the United States;
- Foreign passengers on an aircraft that must make an impromptu stopover in Canada;
- Individuals from outside who are in transit at a Canadian airport and are not required to have a visa or are participants in the China Transit Program;
- those who are or will be working as flight crews, accident investigators, or civil aviation inspectors while they are in Canada;
- Armed forces personnel from nations covered by the Visiting Services Act who are traveling to Canada to perform official duties and responsibilities (excluding civilian components of the armed forces);
- Those accredited by the Canadian government as diplomats;
Read more to learn more: How you can Apply for Canada Study Visa for International students
