What you need to enter Canada
What you need to travel to Canada will depend on
- where you’re from
- how you’re travelling (by air, land or sea)
- what documents you’re travelling with
You can also answer a few questions to find out what you need to enter Canada.
On this page
- US travellers
- Travellers who need a visa
- Travellers who need an eTA
- Travellers who don’t need a visa or an eTA
- Canadian travellers
- Foreign workers and students
- Travellers visiting their children or grandchildren in Canada
US travellers
What you need to bring to Canada as an American depends on whether you’re a citizen or a permanent resident.
American citizens
In most cases, you must travel with your valid US passport.
If you don’t have a valid passport, there are other documents you can show. These include, but are not limited to your
- birth certificate
- certificate of citizenship or naturalization
- certificate of Indian status, along with photo identification
- US enhanced driver’s license
US lawful permanent residents
What you need to enter Canada as a US permanent resident depends on how you’re travelling.
Entering Canada by air
You must bring the following documents to Canada when travelling by air as a US permanent resident:
- a valid passport from your country of nationality (or an equivalent acceptable travel document)
- a valid permanent resident (green) card (or equivalent valid proof of status in the US)
Entering Canada by land or water
If you’re entering Canada by land or water directly from the US or Saint Pierre and Miquelon, you only need to provide
- your valid permanent resident (green) card, or
- equivalent valid proof of status in the US
You don’t need to provide your passport.
Acceptable proof of status documents for US permanent residents
You need an official proof of status as a permanent resident of the US, such as
- a valid permanent resident (green) card (Form I-551)
- a non-US passport with either
- a valid temporary I-551 stamp (also known as an Alien Documentation, Identification and Telecommunication [ADIT] stamp), or
- a temporary I-551 printed note (“Upon endorsement serves as temporary I-551 evidencing permanent residence for 1 year”) on an immigrant visa with a US Customs and Border Protection admission stamp
- an expired permanent resident (green) card (Form I-551) with either
- Form I-797 (Notice of Action) for pending Form I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence) or Form I-829 (Petition by Investor to Remove Conditions on Permanent Resident Status), or
- Form I-797 (Notice of Action) for pending Form I-90 (Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card [Green Card])
- a valid re-entry permit (Form I-327)
- Form I-94 with an unexpired temporary I-551 stamp (ADIT stamp) and a passport-style photo
American-Canadian citizens
You can enter Canada as an American-Canadian dual citizen with a valid Canadian or US passport.
You don’t need a Canadian passport, a Canadian visa or an eTA to enter Canada if you’re travelling with a valid US passport.
Travellers who need a visa
You need a visitor visa to come to Canada by any method of travel, unless you’re
- eligible for an eTA, or
- a US citizen or permanent resident
Stateless individuals also need a visa to visit or transit through Canada.
If you’re a citizen with a passport from any of the following countries, you need a visa and a valid passport to come to Canada.
Visa-required countries
- 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
- Cabo 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 (Travellers 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 they meet 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
- Palestine
- 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.)
- 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
- Suriname
- Syria
- Taiwan (Travellers must have a passport other than an ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes the 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
Travellers who need an eTA
You need an electronic travel authorization (eTA) and a valid passport to board your flight to Canada if you’re a citizen of any of the following countries. You don’t need a visitor visa.
Entering by land or sea?
You do not need an eTA (or a visitor visa) when arriving by car, bus, train or boat (including a cruise ship). You still need a valid passport.
eTA-eligible countries
- 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
- Qatar
- 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.
Travellers who don’t need a visa or an eTA
In most cases, you’ll need a visa or an eTA to travel to Canada.
You don’t need a visa or an eTA to travel to Canada if one of the following describes you:
- US citizen or permanent resident
- have valid status in Canada (for example, visitor, student, worker) and are re-entering Canada after only visiting the US or Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- French citizen who lives in, and is flying directly from, Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- passenger destined to, or coming from, the US on a flight that stops in Canada just to refuel and
- have proper documents to enter the US, or
- were lawfully admitted to the US
- passenger on a flight that makes an unscheduled stop in Canada
- transiting through a Canadian airport under the Transit Without a Visa or China Transit programs
- flight crew, civil aviation inspector, accident investigator who is or will be working while in Canada
- member of the armed forces (not including the civilian component of the armed forces) of a country designated under the Visiting Forces Act coming to Canada to carry out official duties
- diplomat accredited by the Government of Canada
You need to give your biometrics
In most cases, you need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) after you apply for a visitor visa.
Find out who needs to give biometrics.
Canadian travellers
Canadian travellers don’t need a visa or an eTA to enter Canada. What you need depends on whether you’re a citizen or a permanent resident.
Canadian citizens
Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, need a valid Canadian passport. American-Canadians can travel with a valid Canadian or US passport.
Canadian permanent residents
Canadian permanent residents need a valid permanent resident card or permanent resident travel document.
Foreign 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 an eTA to enter Canada.
You need to give your biometrics
In most cases, you need to give your fingerprints and photo (biometrics) after you apply.
If you’re applying for your first study or work permit
We’ll automatically issue you a visa or eTA if
- you need one
- we approve your application
When you travel to Canada, make sure you have
- your study or work permit approval (letter of introduction)
- a valid passport or travel document
- If you need a visa, it must contain the visa sticker that we put in it.
- If you need an eTA and you’re flying to a Canadian airport, you must use the passport that you used to apply for your work or study permit.
You may need to show additional documents when you arrive in Canada. Find out what other documents you need as a study permit or work permit applicant.
If you already have a work or study permit
If you need a visa, make sure that it’s 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 that your eTA is still valid and that you travel with the passport you used when you initially got your eTA.
You must travel with your
- valid study or work permit
- valid passport or travel document
- valid visa or eTA (if required)
If you’re eligible to work or study without a permit
If you’re eligible to work or study without a permit, you must meet the entry requirements listed above for your country of citizenship.
Travellers visiting their child or grandchild in Canada
If you’re the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a registered Indian, you may be eligible for a super visa.
A super visa
- lets you visit your child or grandchild in Canada for 5 years at a time
- allows for multiple entries to Canada
- is valid for up to 10 years
Top questions about entering Canada
- What happens if I get a new passport after I have received an eTA?
- My minor child is applying for a visitor visa and will travel alone to Canada. What documents must they present with the application?
- Do I need a visa if I’m just travelling through Canada on my way to another country?
- Do I need to apply for both a visitor visa and an eTA?
- How long can I stay in Canada?