With the objective of boosting tourism and strengthening international ties, Canada has initiated a significant move by introducing visa-free travel privileges for 13 countries. The list includes several Caribbean and Latin American nations. The Canadian government has also extended access to its Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) program. This simplifies the process of short-term visits, especially for countries which are now Visa-Free.
Travellers from the following countries now have access to enter Canada without a visa. This is only provided upon meeting certain listed eligibility criteria.
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Costa Rica
- Morocco
- Panama
- Philippines
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Seychelles
- Thailand
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uruguay
The visa-free entry applies to travellers accessing Canada who have previously held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years or have a valid non-immigrant visa to the United States.
This new provision permits eligible individuals to remain in Canada for up to 6 months without the need to obtain a separate visa.
An Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) is a digital entry requirement for citizens of visa-exempt countries accessing Canada. If either visiting or transiting through a Canadian airport, a traveller needs to have an eTA, should the traveller’s country of origin is included under the visa-free policy. Travellers accessing by either ground or sea, for those accessing by either vehicle from the U.S. or by cruise ship, do not require an eTA.
Application for an eTA tends to be quite straightforward so it can be completed online. What is needed is
- A valid passport from any of the eligible countries
- An operative email address
- A credit or debit card to pay a sum of USD 5.18 (CanD 7) fee
The application process takes only a few minutes. As such, most applicants tend to receive their eTA within minutes. Only a few applications may require additional supporting documentation, so they may take a little longer. An eTA stays valid for 5 years, or until an applicant’s passport expires, whichever comes 1st. During this period, travellers are capable of making multiple visits for short stays to Canada.
