Canada’s immigration authority has reiterated the entry requirements for foreign travellers heading to or passing through the country, according to the latest guidance published on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website and shared by the department on social media. The authority said that depending on the nationality and the travel purpose, visitors may require an Electric Travel Authorisation (eTA) or a visa before boarding their flight. for the uninitiated eTA is a digital entry requirement linked to a traveller’s passport and is mandatory for visa-exempt foreign nationals flying to or transiting through Canada.
For citizens of eTA-eligible countries flying to Canada, an eTA and a valid passport are required to board a flight — a separate visitor visa is not needed in this case. The rules shift for travellers arriving by land or sea. In most cases, citizens of eTA-eligible countries arriving by car, bus, train, or boat, including cruise ships, do not need an eTA at all, though a valid passport is still required. One notable exception applies to travellers arriving by sea from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon: those travellers do need an eTA to board, except when arriving by cruise ship. Citizens of select visa-required countries may also be eligible to apply for an eTA instead of a full visitor visa, but only if they are travelling to Canada by air. Travellers from visa-required countries, stateless individuals, and those holding a foreign passport for stateless persons must apply for a visitor visa rather than an eTA, regardless of how they plan to travel to Canada.