Visa policy of Canada - wikipedia Visa policy of Canada Entry passport stamp for Canada issued to a citizen of Singapore at Toronto Pearson International Airport Entry passport stamp for Canada issued to a citizen of Colombia by the Canada Border Services Agency at Lewiston -- Queenston Border Crossing in 2014. Entry passport stamp for Canada in French language issued to a citizen of Slovakia at Overton Corners -- Lacolle 221 Border Crossing in 2017. A foreign national wishing to enter Canada must obtain a temporary resident visa from one of the Canadian diplomatic missions unless he or she holds a passport issued by one of the 53 eligible visa exempt countries and territories or proof of permanent residence in the United States. All visa exempt travelers except Americans to Canada are required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization ( eTA ) when arriving in Canada by air since 10 November 2016. Travelers were able to apply early as of 1 August 2015. Applications of visitor visas, work permits, study permits and certain types of permanent residency can be lodged online. Contents 1 Visa policy map 2 Visa exemptions 2.1 Electronic Travel Authorization 2.1. 1 Exemptions 2.1. 2 Dual citizens and permanent residents 2.2 Notes 3 Transit 3.1 Visa - exempt nationals 3.2 Special waivers for travellers to and from the United States 4 Extension of stay for temporary residents 4.1 Persons affected by the U.S. Presidential executive order 5 Types of temporary residents and Canadian visas 5.1 Types of temporary residents 5.1. 1 Study permit on arrival 5.1. 2 NAFTA professionals 5.1. 3 Working holiday 5.2 Temporary resident visa 6 Visa policy changes 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Visa policy map Canada Countries with visa - free access to Canada ( eTA required when arriving by air, except for United States nationals ) Electronic Travel Authorization required ( eTA available for citizens who have held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa when arriving by air ) Visa required for entry to Canada Visa exemptions Holders of passports issued by the following countries and territories are able to visit Canada without obtaining a visa for a period of up to six months. They are required to obtain an eTA if they arrive by air, except for U.S. nationals and citizens of France residing in Saint Pierre and Miquelon arriving directly from the territory, who are exempt from the eTA requirement. Nationals of certain countries must arrive by air when not holding a Canadian visa. Visitors are eligible if they are in good health, can convince an immigration officer that they have ties ( job, home, financial assets or family ) that will take them back to their home country and have enough money for their stay. In some cases a medical exam or a letter of invitation may be required. All European Union citizens Andorra Australia Bahamas Barbados Brunei Chile Hong Kong Iceland Israel Japan Liechtenstein Mexico Monaco New Zealand Norway Papua New Guinea Samoa San Marino Singapore Solomon Islands South Korea Switzerland Taiwan United States Vatican City Date of visa changes This list is incomplete ; you can help by expanding it. unknown : Andorra, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Vatican Australian, Barbados, British, French, Irish, New Zealand, Papua New Guinean, Samoa, Solomon Islands and United States citizens have never needed a visa to gain access to Canada Visa policy of Canada in March 1978 Canada Visa free access 1949 : Sweden 1949 : Netherlands 1949 : Denmark 1949 : Luxembourg 1949 : Belgium 1 April 1950 : Norway 9 November 1952 : Italy 1956 : Austria 1958 : Finland 17 October 1962 : Iceland 9 March 1984 : Israel 1 November 1984 : Brunei 1 May 1994 : South Korea 1 August 1995 : Slovenia 1 July 1997 : Hong Kong 27 September 2006 : Estonia 31 October 2007 Latvia 29 February 2008 : Hungary ( resumed ), Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia 28 March 2009 : Croatia 22 November 2010 : Taiwan 14 November 2013 : Czech Republic ( resumed ) 22 November 2014 : Chile ( resumed ) 1 December 2016 : Mexico 1 December 2017 : Bulgaria, Romania Cancelled : N / A : South Africa 28 September 1978 : Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana and Uganda 20 December 1979 : Chile ( was resumed on 1 February 1995 ) 25 September 1980 : Haiti 15 October 1981 : India 7 September 1983 : Bangladesh and Sri Lanka 14 March 1984 : Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica and Peru 21 November 1985 : Dominican Republic 17 July 1986 : Portugal ( was resumed ) 7 January 1987 : Gambia, Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Tanzania, Turkey 6 July 1987 : Brazil 18 September 1987 : Bolivia and Honduras 4 December 1987 : Fiji 7 September 1988 : Panama 28 November 1988 : Nicaragua 11 December 1988 : Trinidad and Tobago 6 August 1990 : Argentina and Kenya 16 May 1991 : Tonga 4 May 1992 : Belize, Lesotho, Malawi, Paraguay, Seychelles, Surinam, Uruguay and Zambia 1 August 1995 : Venezuela 5 June 1996 : Chile ( was resumed in 2014 ) 8 October 1997 : Czech Republic ( was resumed in 2013 ) 5 December 2001 : Dominica, Grenada, Hungary ( was resumed in 2008 ), Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Zimbabwe 5 September 2002 : Saudi Arabia 24 September 2002 : Malaysia 11 May 2004 : Costa Rica 13 July 2009 : Mexico ( was resumed in 2016 ) 13 September 2012 : Botswana, Namibia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Swaziland 22 November 2014 : Saint Kitts and Nevis 27 June 2017 : Antigua and Barbuda Allowed stay On entry, Canada Border Services Officer ( BSO ) stamp passports or travel documents and visitors are granted a stay of 6 months from the date of entry. If a specific date was written on the stamp, however, the visitor must leave Canada before that date. Visitors wishing to extend their status date must apply 30 days before it expires. Inclusion criteria In order to be added to the visa waiver list a country has to fulfill about 40 conditions, grouped into seven categories : socio - economic conditions immigration issues travel document integrity safety and security issues border management human rights issues bilateral considerations. The decision is made by analyzing all of the criteria in an overall review instead of a checklist so there is a certain level of flexibility. Electronic travel Authorization In December 2013, the Canadian government announced intention to introduce a system named Electronic Travel Authorization ( eTA ), similar to the U.S. Electronic System for Travel Authorization ( ESTA ), as part of an action plan to establish a common approach to screening visa - exempt foreign nationals. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada expressed concern over the plan. An eTA is mandatory for all visa - free eligible nationals except Americans arriving by air since 10 November 2016. Travellers were able to apply early as of August 1, 2015. An eTA is not necessary for overland entry or entry by sea, but solely for arriving by air. Visitors can apply through the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada ( IRCC ) website and are required to pay a cost recovery fee of C $ 7. Visitors have to provide biographic details, passport and background information that is otherwise required in visa applications. Other required data includes information on additional citizenship, available funds, employment information and contact details including residential address. Applicants also have to answer questions about their health, immigration history and on any convictions they may have. There are no questions on travel plans in Canada. Following a risk assessment of the applicant, an eTA valid for multiple entries to Canada over a period of up to five years or until the passport 's expiration date should be issued. Citizens of Brazil who hold a valid non-immigrant U.S. visa or who have held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years can apply for eTA when arriving by air. They may not enter Canada by land or sea unless holding a valid visa. Exemptions The following persons are exempted from obtaining the eTA : French citizens who reside in Saint Pierre and Miquelon and enter Canada directly from the territory ; holders of Canadian visas ; visitors, students or workers who only visit the United States or St. Pierre and Miquelon, provided that they return to Canada before the period of their authorized stay expires ; crew members ; visiting armed force members from a designated state ; holders of diplomatic acceptances ; members of the Royal Family ; persons who are conducting inspections of the flight operation procedures or cabin safety of a commercial air carrier operating international flights and holding valid documentations. In addition, persons on a flight that originates from or travels to the United States and stops in Canada for refuelling do not need an eTA, nor do those on a flight that has made an emergency landing in Canada. The following persons are barred from applying the eTA : Canadian citizens ; U.S. citizens and nationals ; permanent residents of Canada ( including those who have not formally renounced their permanent residency ). Dual citizens and permanent residents A Canadian citizen who also has citizenship or nationality of a visa - exempt country ( except United States ) and does not have a valid Canadian passport are barred from applying for an eTA and are required to enter Canada with a Canadian passport when arriving in Canada by air. However, those who have a flight to Canada in 10 days and meet the requirements can apply for a one - time special authorization online, which is valid for a maximum of 4 days from the applicants ' travel starting date and a single entry to Canada. To be eligible, the person must meet one of the following requirements : have previously held a Canadian passport ; have received a certificate of Canadian citizenship ; or, have been granted Canadian citizenship after becoming a permanent resident. The special authorization does not apply to Canadian citizens who do not meet the requirements, or those who are entering Canada by land or sea. As U.S. passport holders are not required to apply for an eTA under any circumstances, this measure also does not apply to them, and they can continue to travel to Canada with their U.S. passports by air even if they do not have a Canadian passport. Permanent residents of Canada from visa - exempt countries are also barred from applying for an eTA and must travel with their valid PR card or a one - time permanent resident travel document ( PRTD ) when travelling to Canada by air unless holding a U.S. passport. Those without valid PR cards or PRTDs are not allowed to board a flight to Canada and, if they no longer wish to maintain their PR status of Canada, must renounce the status in order to be eligible for an eTA. Alternatively, they may enter Canada by land or sea. Notes ^ -- including British citizens holding Guernsey passport, Manx passport or Jersey passport ; British Overseas Territories citizens holding Anguillan passport, Bermudian passport, British Virgin Islands passport, Caymanian passport, Gibraltar passport, Montserratian passport, Pitcairn Islands passport, Saint Helena passport or Turks and Caicos Islands passport ; British National ( Overseas ) holding British National ( Overseas ) passport ; and if having the right of abode in the UK -- British Overseas citizens holding British Overseas citizen passport and British subjects holding British subject passport. ^ -- visa free travel for holders of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports only. ^ -- visa free travel for holders of national Israeli passports only. ^ -- visa free travel only for holders of the ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan that includes their national identification number. ^ -- Including persons lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who are in possession of their U.S. Permanent Resident Card ( Green card ) or can provide other valid evidence of permanent residence. U.S. nationals can enter with any proof of citizenship. U.S permanent residents, however, are required to have an eTA with a valid passport, U.S. Re-entry Permit or U.S. Refugee Travel Document. Transit In general, a foreign national who needs to transit through Canada to reach his or her final destination needs a transit visa, unless they fulfill one of the conditions listed below. A plan was announced in 2015 to allow all passengers to transit without a visa through the Vancouver International Airport. As of March 2017, the plan has not been implemented. Visa - exempt nationals Nationals of visa - exempt countries and U.S. permanent residents are eligible to transit through Canada without a visa regardless of final destination and modes of transport, however all visa - exempt nationals except Americans are required to have an eTA for transit if arriving by air. Brazilian citizens may transit through Canada without a visa only when holding a valid eTA and arriving by air if they meet the requirements for an eTA. Special waivers for travellers to and from the United States The Transit Without Visa Program ( TWOV ) and the China Transit Program ( CTP ) allow certain non-visa - exempt nationals to transit through Canada on their way to and from the United States without a Canadian transit visa. To be eligible, they must fulfill the following criteria : hold a U.S. visa, travel on an approved airline ( Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air China, Cathay Pacific, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Westjet as well as Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz Air, Sky Regional Airlines and Air Georgian only ; codeshare flights operated by a company not in the list are not eligible ), transit through a participating Canadian international airport ( Only includes Vancouver International Airport, Calgary International Airport or Terminal 1 of Toronto Pearson International Airport ), clear U.S. immigration and customs at the airport during the CBP 's preclearance operating hours on the same calendar day, if arriving from outside the U.S. There are no time limitations for passengers arriving from the U.S. as long as they leave Canada on the same calendar day. In addition, passengers must remain in the sterile international transit area when arriving from the U.S., or the post-preclearance area when arriving from a third country and have cleared U.S. immigration and customs. Leaving the designated area is not permitted. When travelling to the U.S., the passenger must hold a valid, unexpired U.S. visa in order to clear U.S. immigration and customs. However, an expired U.S. visa is acceptable for transit when travelling from the U.S. to a third country if the passenger has not overstayed the authorized period in the U.S. and is not under a removal or deportation order. Nationals of the following countries are eligible for TWOV : Indonesia Philippines Taiwan ( only for those whose passport does not contain a personal identification number ) Thailand For CTP, the travellers must hold the Chinese passport and leave from airports of one of the following cities as last points of embarkation when travelling to the U.S. : Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Manila, Seoul Incheon, Taipei, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo Haneda, Tokyo Narita, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang and Harbin. There are no point of embarkation restrictions when the passenger is travelling from the U.S. to a third country. Extension of stay for temporary residents Persons with temporary resident status in Canada can apply to extend their stay by filling an application at least 30 days before their authorized periods of stay expire. Persons affected by the U.S. presidential Executive order On 31 January 2017, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, enacted a public policy to aid individuals in Canada who are affected by Executive Order 13769 and who have made travel plans while holding applicable documents to travel to the U.S. Those people can apply for temporary resident status or extend their status as a temporary resident of Canada. Persons applying under the public policy can apply for urgent processing and can have their application fee waived. Types of temporary residents and Canadian visas Types of temporary residents Under Canadian government definitions, a temporary resident, as opposed to a permanent resident, is `` a foreign national who is legally authorized to enter Canada for temporary purposes ''. Temporary residents are subjected to a number of conditions, such as the length of stay, and the ability to work or study while in Canada. There are four types of temporary residents : Visitors, Students, Temporary foreign workers ( TFWs ), Temporary resident permit ( TRP ) holders. Except for visitors who may enter Canada with proof of citizenship, an eTA or a temporary resident visa depending on their nationality, all other temporary residents must hold valid permits while in Canada, which must be applied before arrival, on arrival or after arrival. They may also need an eTA or a temporary resident visa in order to re-enter Canada. Study permit on arrival Holders of passports issued by Greenland and the United States, permanent residents of the United States, and French citizens residing in St. Pierre and Miquelon are eligible to apply for a study permit on arrival if holding sufficient documentations. NAFTA Professionals Nationals of Mexico and the United States whose professions are covered under the North American Free Trade Agreement ( NAFTA ) are able to apply for a work permit on arrival. Working holiday Canada 's working holiday scheme, International Experience Canada ( IEC ), provides non-Canadian citizens the opportunity to work in Canada as TFWs on an IEC work permit. IEC is divided into three tiers : Working Holiday, Young Professionals, International Co-op Internship. Depending on the agreements with the respective countries, non-Canadian citizens may be eligible to participate in all three tiers, or one or two tiers out of the three. To be eligible, they have to be a citizen of the following countries within the age limit : Australia Austria Belgium Chile Costa Rica Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia France Germany Greece Hong Kong Ireland Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Mexico Netherlands Norway New Zealand Poland Slovakia Slovenia South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Ukraine United Kingdom Nationals other than those countries can still participate through a Recognized Organization ( RO ). Temporary resident visa Citizens of the majority of countries need a temporary resident visa to enter Canada. They need to apply either online or on paper at one of the Canadian Visa application centres ( run by VFS Global ) or a consular office. There are no separate application forums for business visitors. Canada has introduced a program known as CAN+ for visitors of some countries who have been to Canada in the last 10 years or who possess a valid U.S. visa. When applying through CAN+, the applicant only needs to submit his or her proof of travel to U.S. or Canada and can submit fewer proof of financial support. The program is only available at certain visa offices or for nationals of certain countries. Parents and grandparents of Canadian citizens and permanent residents can apply for the parent and grandparent super visa which allows them to stay for up to two years in Canada without renewing their status. Countries whose citizens undergo a mandatory biometrics collection for a Canadian visa. Citizens of the following 29 countries, as of December 2013, also must provide biometrics ( fingerprints and photograph ) : Afghanistan Albania Algeria Bangladesh Cambodia Colombia DR Congo Egypt Eritrea Haiti Iran Iraq Jamaica Jordan Laos Lebanon Libya Myanmar Nigeria Pakistan Palestine Saudi Arabia Somalia South Sudan Sri Lanka Sudan Syria Tunisia Vietnam Yemen The list is expected to be extended to 148 countries. Number of tourist visas issued : Year Number of visas 2012 663,911 2013 685,923 2014 834,362 2015 919,761 2016 1,028,834 Most visitor visas in 2016 were issued to the nationals of following countries : Application from Issued visas China 350,940 India 148,193 Mexico 74,767 Brazil 61,571 Philippines 34,889 Iran 16,752 Pakistan 15,638 Nigeria 15,529 Vietnam 15,013 Indonesia 14,555 Arrival statistics Most visitors arriving to Canada were from the following countries of nationality : Country / Territory 2016 2015 2014 2013 United States 01 23,895,385 01 22,057,860 01 20,345,412 01 20,435,329 United Kingdom 02 850,841 02 733,280 02 695,787 02 663,219 China 03 624,865 03 511,234 04 471,823 04 365,314 France 04 552,109 04 507,627 03 490,185 03 465,548 Germany 05 381,837 05 343,716 05 341,416 05 322,419 Australia 06 352,345 06 307,123 06 300,844 06 279,936 Japan 07 322,220 07 294,934 07 277,305 07 238,474 South Korea 08 254,759 09 204,741 09 183,770 08 158,523 Mexico 09 252,218 08 204,756 10 180,052 09 156,856 India 10 225,121 10 200,094 08 185,888 10 154,409 Hong Kong 11 158,475 11 152,624 11 141,852 11 133,453 Italy 12 138,114 12 128,422 12 125,935 13 100,795 Netherlands 13 136,784 13 120,504 14 106,585 14 100,233 Switzerland 14 131,901 14 118,202 13 116,358 12 110,303 Brazil 15 115,004 15 113,242 15 100,947 15 -- 94,555 Taiwan 16 102,629 17 76,124 17 72,436 17 64,036 Spain 17 90,749 16 76,212 18 68,716 19 56,657 Israel 18 75,638 18 71,361 19 66,529 18 62,806 Belgium 19 70,704 20 60,479 20 55,715 20 52,457 Philippines 20 70,644 19 65,409 16 75,746 16 67,401 New Zealand 21 62,118 21 56,622 21 53,186 21 50,809 Sweden 22 51,173 22 43,762 22 43,854 22 40,679 Denmark 23 47,155 23 41,612 23 40,652 23 36,597 Singapore 24 37,702 24 35,370 24 36,511 24 35,689 Jamaica 25 32,915 25 30,340 25 29,553 25 27,805 Trinidad and Tobago 26 25,229 26 23,737 27 22,917 26 24,809 Portugal 27 24,160 27 23,579 26 24,787 27 23,750 Malaysia 28 14,233 29 13,450 28 13,543 29 12,681 Greece 29 13,984 28 13,834 29 12,693 28 12,783 Total 30 30,142,291 30 27,554,943 30 25,558,014 30 25,167,015 Visa policy changes Canada 's visa policy has gone through a number of changes in the recent years. In 1984, citizens of 76 countries could travel to Canada without a visa. The number of countries has now dropped to 52. On 5 September 2002, visa restrictions were reintroduced for Saudi Arabian citizens travelling to Canada because `` Saudi Arabia has not demonstrated the necessary will nor that it possesses the infrastructure to deny the use of its passports to terrorists, criminals or other inadmissible persons ''. On 24 September 2002, visa restrictions were reintroduced for Malaysian citizens travelling to Canada because `` the Malaysian passport and passport issuing system are vulnerable to abuse ''. On 11 May 2004, visa restrictions were reintroduced for Costa Rican citizens travelling to Canada because the `` number of Costa Rican nationals travelling to Canada to claim refugee protection or to enter the United States illegally, using Canada as a transit point, continues to grow '' and also because there is `` a growing incidence of Costa Rican document abuse by nationals of neighbouring countries ''. On 26 March 2009, visa requirements were lifted for Croatian citizens travelling to Canada because `` immigration violation and visa application refusal rates for Croatian nationals have steadily decreased over the past five years, while the number of refugee claims and removals has remained low ''. On 13 July 2009, visa restrictions were reintroduced for Mexican citizens travelling to Canada because of three main factors : the number of refugee claims for Mexican nationals has substantially increased from less than 3,500 in 2005 to almost 9,500 in 2008, the immigration violation rate has steadily increased over the past three years and the risks related to travel documents, organised crime and corruption. Canadian citizens enjoy visa - free access to the Schengen Area, which includes the Czech Republic. When the Czech Republic joined the European Union with 9 other countries in 2004, the European Union started a dialogue with the Canadian government to lift visa requirements for citizens of these countries to receive visa reciprocity between all Schengen countries and Canada. The result was the lifting of visa requirements for Czech citizens in October 2007. However, on 16 July 2009, Canada reintroduced visa requirements for Czech citizens as the overstay percentage was very high because many Roma filed for asylum. The EU urged Canada that `` This highly regrettable situation should be brought to an end as soon as possible. '' In October 2013, following a contentious reform of the refugee determination system that significantly brought down the number of false asylum claims, Canada lifted visa requirement for Czech citizens effective immediately on November 14, 2013. Starting from 22 November 2010, holders of an ordinary Taiwan passport with a personal identification number were able to enter Canada without a visa because `` TRV refusal rates and the number of immigration violations, removals, and asylum claims by Taiwan passport holders are low ''. On 13 September 2012, Botswana, Namibia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Swaziland were removed from the list of exempted nations. As a result, citizens of these five countries were required to obtain visas in advance to travel to or transit through Canada. Botswana, Namibia, and Swaziland were removed primarily due to concerns relating to human trafficking ( especially of minors ) and the use of fraudulent documents. Also, Namibia had the highest immigration violation rate, with 81 % of its citizens in Canada committing immigration violations, and 71 % of Namibian travellers made asylum claims in 2011 in Canada. Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were removed mainly because of unreliable travel documents, in particular because `` criminals from these countries can legally change their names and acquire new passports ''. In certain cases, citizens of these two countries `` who were removed from Canada as security risks later returned using different passports ''. In addition, the removal of Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was prompted by the `` unacceptably high number of asylum claims from St. Lucia and St. Vincent, with about one and a half percent and three percent of the population of these countries making asylum claims in Canada over the past five years ''. On 12 May 2014, Canadian government sources announced a possible removal of visa requirements for Chilean citizens, following its participation as the 38th member of the Visa Waiver Program. Visa requirements were finally lifted on 22 November 2014. In October 2014, it was reported that the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with the European Union might not be ratified by Bulgaria and Romania unless the visa requirement was lifted for their citizens by Canada. Under Canadian legislation, for a country to be added to the visa waiver list there should be less than 3 % immigration violations and visa refusal rate of less than 3 % over 3 years. For Bulgarians the immigration violation rate was 4.4 % in 2013 and the average 3 year visa refusal rate was 15.76 %. For Romanians the immigration violation rate was 2.7 % in 2013 and the average 3 year visa refusal rate was 15 %. Even though the thresholds are not absolute, Canadian authorities notified the EU that political manoeuvre is not possible when the difference between the threshold and rates is too big. As of 22 November 2014, holders of Saint Kitts and Nevis passports need a visa to enter Canada due to national security concerns. In December 2014, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird announced changes in legislation that would allow a visa - free regime for all EU citizens. In April 2015, the previous Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, announced that Brazilian, Bulgarian, Mexican and Romanian citizens who have recently visited Canada or who have a valid U.S. non-immigrant visa will be able to visit Canada without a visa but with an electronic authorization from 2016. Incumbent Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has committed to abolish visa requirements for Mexicans visiting Canada. On 28 June 2016, Trudeau announced that the visa requirements for Mexican nationals will be lifted on 1 December 2016, although many government officials were critical of the plan and advised against it. The risks identified include Mexico 's weak passport controls, a potential rise in fake asylum claims, the increase of human and illegal drug trafficking, and the involvement of organized crime of some travelers. In addition, the U.S. can potentially tighten border controls which may slow the cross-border trades between the two countries and harm Canada 's economy. Opposition parties criticized that the move was `` a completely political quid pro quo '' in exchange for the Mexican government to lift the ban on Canadian beef since 2003. On 31 October 2016, the Canadian government announced that Canada intends to lift visa requirement for Romanian and Bulgarian citizens on 1 December 2017. According to CBC News, sources confirmed that after Donald Trump had been elected to the U.S. presidency on 8 November 2016, high - level meetings took place between officials at IRCC and other departments in order to prepare for a potential surge of asylum seekers and overstayers from Mexico, although the visa requirements will still be dropped on 1 December as planned. Some officials did state that Canada will reintroduce visa requirements if the number of asylum seekers is too high. On 24 November 2016, the Canadian government announced that starting from 25 November 2016, Mexican nationals can apply for the eTA online. However, Mexicans entering Canada before 1 December would continue to need a visa. On the same day, Mexican nationals could no longer apply for a visa online and had to apply on paper through a visa application centre. The visa requirement was lifted on 1 December as planned and the issuance of visas to Mexican nationals ceased, although Statistics Canada predicts that the net cost of lifting the visa requirement is over C $262 million in the next decade, which includes the additional immigration enforcement resources and the extra costs of processing asylum claims. From 1 May 2017, Brazilian, Bulgarian and Romanian citizens who have had a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who hold a valid U.S. non-immigrant visa can fly to or transit through Canada without a Canadian visa. As of 27 June 2017, holders of Antigua and Barbuda passports need a visa to enter Canada due to concerns regarding the integrity of Antigua and Barbuda 's travel documents. On 1 December 2017, visa requirements were lifted for Bulgarian and Romanian citizens travelling to Canada. See also Canada portal Visa requirements for Canadian citizens Immigration to Canada References ^ Jump up to : `` Country information ( visa section ) ''. Timatic. International Air Transport Association ( IATA ) through Olympic Air. Retrieved 1 April 2017. ^ Jump up to : Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Electronic Travel Authorization ( eTA ) ''. Jump up ^ `` Liberals give visa - exempt travellers 6 months to comply with pre-screening requirement ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Electronic Travel Authorization ( eTA ) ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` What can I apply for online ? ''. ^ Jump up to : `` Entry requirements by country ''. Cic.gc.ca. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Retrieved 22 March 2017. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Determine your eligibility -- What you need to visit Canada as a tourist ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Medical exam requirements for temporary residents ( visitors, students and workers ) ''. Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?document_id_nbr=11341&image_id_nbr=683202&f=p&PHPSESSID=la01qtdhs9pb00qgjgvjds1vi4 Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Jump up ^ https://openlibrary.org/works/OL5028433W/Exchange_of_Notes_(_June_30_1949)_Between_Canada_and_Sweden_Constituting_an_Agreement_Regarding_Visa Jump up ^ https://openlibrary.org/works/OL5028398W/Exchange_of_Notese_Between_Canada_and_the_Netherlands_Constituting_an_Agreement_Regarding_Visa_Requi Jump up ^ http://treaties.fco.gov.uk/treaties/treatyrecord.htm?tid=4793 Jump up ^ https://openlibrary.org/works/OL5028374W/Exchange_of_Notes_Between_Canada_and_the_Grand_Duchy_of_Luxembourg_Constituting_an_Agreement_Regardi Jump up ^ https://openlibrary.org/works/OL5028360W/Exchange_of_Notes_Between_Canada_and_Belgium_Constituting_an_Agreement_Regarding_Visa_Requirements_F Jump up ^ https://openlibrary.org/works/OL5028373W/Exchange_of_notes_between_Canada_and_Norway_constituting_an_agreement_regarding_visa_requirements_fo Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Jump up ^ ( 3 ) Jump up ^ ( 4 ) Jump up ^ ( 5 ) Jump up ^ ( 6 ) Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?document_id_nbr=14834&image_id_nbr=939107&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=649570&document_id_nbr=11056&f=p&PHPSESSID=31h7vg4aidsm5i10d23pc001a4 Jump up ^ ( 7 ) Jump up ^ ( 8 ) Jump up ^ ( 9 ) Jump up ^ For biometric passports only from 1 January 2009 ( 10 ) Jump up ^ For biometric passports only from 1 January 2009 ( 11 ) Jump up ^ http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:52008DC0486R(01 ) Jump up ^ `` ARCHIVED -- Canada Gazette -- Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations ( temporary resident visa exemption for nationals of Croatia ) '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2009 - 04 - 15. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2010 - 12 - 08. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2013/2013-12-04/html/sor-dors201-eng.php Jump up ^ http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2014/2014-12-03/html/sor-dors267-eng.php Jump up ^ http://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2016/2016-11-30/html/sor-dors293-eng.php Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=686335&document_id_nbr=11355&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?document_id_nbr=11477&image_id_nbr=700357&f=p&PHPSESSID=la01qtdhs9pb00qgjgvjds1vi4 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=652231&document_id_nbr=11079&f=p&PHPSESSID=la01qtdhs9pb00qgjgvjds1vi4 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=703713&document_id_nbr=11495&f=p&PHPSESSID=31h7vg4aidsm5i10d23pc001a4 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=708034&document_id_nbr=11522&f=p&PHPSESSID=31h7vg4aidsm5i10d23pc001a4 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=525068&document_id_nbr=10791&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=527362&document_id_nbr=10803&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=535546&document_id_nbr=10848&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=539115&document_id_nbr=10873&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ Was applied from 1949 ( 12 ) Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=541921&document_id_nbr=10888&f=p&PHPSESSID=31h7vg4aidsm5i10d23pc001a4 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?document_id_nbr=10898&image_id_nbr=544257&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=545368&document_id_nbr=10904&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=941018&document_id_nbr=14845&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=547520&document_id_nbr=10918&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=548611&document_id_nbr=10923&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ ( 13 ) Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=630585&document_id_nbr=10957&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?document_id_nbr=10978&image_id_nbr=634968&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databases/canada-gazette/093/001060-119.01-e.php?image_id_nbr=640131&document_id_nbr=11004&f=p&PHPSESSID=j2qgcadlrpahlcddm2l8nrsnl6 Jump up ^ ( 14 ) Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 February 1995 Jump up ^ ( 15 ) Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 April 1996 ( 16 ) Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette ''. Government of Canada. 1997 - 10 - 08. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ Was applied from 1 November 1994 ( 17 ) Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2001 - 12 - 19. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ Was applied from 18 April 1983 ( 18 ) Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2001 - 11 - 29. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ Was applied from 6 April 1984 ( 19 ) Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2002 - 09 - 25. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2002 - 10 - 09. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2004 - 05 - 19. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2009 - 08 - 05. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ Was applied from 1990 ( 20 ) Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette ''. Government of Canada. 2012 - 09 - 26. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette ''. Government of Canada. 2004 - 12 - 03. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 09. Jump up ^ ( 21 ) Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Temporary residents : Examination and admission at the port of entry ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Prepare for arrival -- Visit Canada ''. ^ Jump up to : Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Extend your stay in Canada as a visitor ''. ^ Jump up to : REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION assessing the situation of non-reciprocity with certain third countries in the area of visa policy Jump up ^ Gazette, Government of Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, Integrated Services Branch, Canada. `` ARCHIVED -- Canada Gazette -- GOVERNMENT NOTICES ''. Jump up ^ `` Tourists to pay new fee under Canada 's proposed online screening plan ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Electronic Travel Authorization ( eTA ) ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Flying to Canada ? ''. Jump up ^ Electronic Travel Authorization Description of application form fields ^ Jump up to : `` Canada 's new entry rules for Brazilian, Bulgarian and Romanian citizens ''. Canada.ca. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Retrieved 3 May 2017. ^ Jump up to : `` Canadian woman 's family sideswiped by new passport requirement ''. 4 October 2016. ^ Jump up to : Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Dual Canadian citizens need a valid Canadian passport ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` I am a permanent resident of Canada. Do I need an eTA if I leave and want to return to Canada by air ? ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Can I apply for an eTA with a Refugee Travel Document ? ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Transit through Canada ''. Jump up ^ `` YVR likely to get approval for transit - without - visa program before April ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Transit through Canada without a visa ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Determine your eligibility -- Transit without a visa ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Determine your eligibility -- China Transit Program ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Extend your study permit ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Extend your work permit ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Temporary public policy in response to the Executive Order of the United States of America ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Temporary residents ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Legislative Services. `` Consolidated federal laws of canada, Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations ''. Jump up ^ `` Study permits : Making an application ''. Cic.gc.ca. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Retrieved 22 March 2017. Jump up ^ `` International Mobility Program : North American Free Trade Agreement ''. Cic.gc.ca. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Retrieved 22 March 2017. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` International Experience Canada -- travel and work in Canada ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Find out if you 're eligible -- International Experience Canada ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Recognized Organizations for foreign youth -- International Experience Canada ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Visit as a tourist ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Find a visa application centre ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Determine your eligibility -- Visit on business ''. ^ Jump up to : Temporary Resident Visa : Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou Visa Office Instructions Jump up ^ Canada, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship ( 12 May 2014 ). `` Canada News Centre - Archived - Facilitating legitimate trade and travel ''. Jump up ^ Visa Office Instructions for : Bengaluru ( Bangalore ), Chandigarh, New Delhi Jump up ^ Temporary Resident Visa : Buenos Aires Visa Office Instructions Jump up ^ Temporary Resident Visa : Bucharest Visa Office Instructions Jump up ^ Temporary Resident Visa : Manila Visa Office Instructions Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Parent and grandparent super visa ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Find out if you need to give biometrics ''. Jump up ^ `` Travellers to Canada who require visas to face biometric testing ''. Jump up ^ `` Travellers needing visas to enter Canada to undergo biometric screening ''. 4 June 2015. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Visitors -- Quarterly IRCC Updates ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Visitors -- Quarterly IRCC Updates ''. Jump up ^ Service bulletin International Travel : Advance Information, December 2015 Jump up ^ Service bulletin International Travel : Advance Information, December 2013 Jump up ^ Service bulletin International Travel : Advance Information Jump up ^ `` Guarding the US / Canadian Border Crossings 25 years ago ''. 24 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2002 - 09 - 25. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2002 - 10 - 09. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Canada imposes visa requirements on Malaysians ''. Malaysiakini. 2002 - 09 - 23. Retrieved 2013 - 01 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2004 - 05 - 19. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` ARCHIVED -- Canada Gazette -- Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations ( temporary resident visa exemption for nationals of Croatia ) '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2009 - 04 - 15. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2009 - 08 - 05. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ Fourth Visa reciprocity report European Union Jump up ^ `` News Release -- Canada imposes a visa on the Czech Republic ''. Cic.gc.ca. Retrieved 2013 - 01 - 05. Jump up ^ MEPs ask Canada to lift visa requirements for all EU citizen Euractive.com Jump up ^ Fifth visa reciprocity report European Union Jump up ^ `` Canada lifts visa requirement for the Czech Republic ''. Canada.ca. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Jump up ^ `` Canada abolishes visas for Czechs ''. Jump up ^ `` Canada Gazette '' ( PDF ). Government of Canada. 2010 - 12 - 08. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Citizenship and Immigration Canada : News Release -- Canada imposes visas on St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Namibia, Botswana and Swaziland ''. Government of Canada. 2012 - 09 - 12. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 03. Jump up ^ `` Ottawa speeds up visa process for Mexicans entering Canada ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Notice -- Canada lifts the visa requirement for visitors from Chile ''. Jump up ^ `` Canada - EU trade : Ambassador confident visa concerns from Romania, Bulgaria will be resolved ''. Jump up ^ Blanchfield, Mike ( 25 September 2014 ). `` Visa snag looms as Harper heralds end of Canada - EU deal - GuelphMercury.com ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Notice -- St. Kitts and Nevis citizens now need a visa to travel to Canada ''. Jump up ^ http://m3web.bg, M3 Web -. `` John Baird : Canada Is Preparing To Lift Visas for EU Citizens - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency ''. Jump up ^ http://m3web.bg, M3 Web -. `` Canada Easing Visa Regime for Bulgarian Visitors from 2016 - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency ''. Jump up ^ `` PM Ponta : Canada relaxes visa regime for Romanians from 2016 -- AGERPRES ''. Jump up ^ `` Canada eases rules for Mexican travelers ''. 22 April 2015. Jump up ^ `` Trudeau Commits To Removing Visa Requirement For Mexicans ''. Jump up ^ `` Canada to Lift Visa Requirements for Mexicans ''. Jump up ^ `` Bureaucrats warn against lifting Mexican visa requirements ''. Jump up ^ `` Trudeau, Pena Nieto reach ' concrete results ' ahead of Three Amigos summit ''. Jump up ^ `` Canadian officials preparing for potential flood of Mexican migrants after Trump wins presidency ''. Jump up ^ Government of Canada, Global Affairs Canada. `` Canada provides early eTA enrolment for Mexican citizens ''. Jump up ^ `` Mexican visa lift kicking in today expected to cost Canada $262 M over a decade ''. Jump up ^ Branch, Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications. `` Notice -- Canada imposes a visa requirement on Antigua and Barbuda ''. External links Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Electronic Travel Authorization ( eTA ) application List of Canadian missions abroad Visa policy by country Visa Passport Travel document Africa Central Angola Cameroon Central African Republic Chad DR Congo R Congo Equatorial Guinea Gabon São Tomé and Príncipe Eastern Burundi Comoros Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Kenya Madagascar Malawi Mauritius Mozambique Rwanda Seychelles Somalia ( Somaliland ) South Sudan Tanzania Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe Northern Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Sudan Tunisia Southern Botswana Lesotho Namibia Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha South Africa Swaziland Western Benin Burkina Faso Cape Verde Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea - Bissau Ivory Coast Liberia Mali Mauritania Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone Togo Americas Caribbean Dutch Caribbean ( Aruba, Caribbean Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten ) Anguilla Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Haiti Jamaica Montserrat Puerto Rico St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands Central Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama North Bermuda Canada Mexico United States South Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador Falkland Islands Guyana Paraguay Peru South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Suriname Uruguay Venezuela Asia Central & North Afghanistan Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Russia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan East China Hong Kong Macau Japan North Korea South Korea Mongolia Taiwan ( Republic of China ) South Bangladesh Bhutan India Maldives Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka Southeast Brunei Cambodia East Timor Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam Western Abkhazia Akrotiri and Dhekelia Armenia Artsakh Azerbaijan Bahrain Cyprus Egypt Georgia Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Northern Cyprus Oman Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia South Ossetia Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen Europe European Union / EFTA Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Cyprus Denmark Faroe Islands Estonia Finland France Overseas Germany Gibraltar Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Overseas Norway Svalbard Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom Overseas Other Europe Abkhazia Akrotiri and Dhekelia Albania Andorra Armenia Artsakh Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Georgia Kazakhstan Kosovo Macedonia Moldova Monaco Montenegro Northern Cyprus Russia San Marino Serbia South Ossetia Transnistria Turkey Ukraine Vatican City Oceania American Samoa Australia Cook Islands Fiji Guam Kiribati Marshall Islands Micronesia Nauru New Zealand Niue Northern Mariana Islands Palau Papua New Guinea Pitcairn Islands Samoa Solomon Islands Tokelau Tonga Tuvalu Vanuatu British Overseas Territories. Open border with Schengen Area. Russia is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. The majority of its population ( 80 % ) lives in European Russia, therefore Russia as a whole is included as a European country here. Turkey is a transcontinental country in the Middle East and Southeast Europe. Has part of its territory ( 3 % ) in Southeast Europe called Turkish Thrace. Azerbaijan ( Artsakh ) and Georgia ( Abkhazia ; South Ossetia ) are transcontinental countries. Both have part of their territories in the European part of the Caucasus. Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country. Has part of its territories located west of the Urals in Eastern Europe. Armenia and Cyprus ( Northern Cyprus ; Akrotiri and Dhekelia ) are entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio - political connections with Europe. Egypt is a transcontinental country in North Africa and the Middle East. Has part of its territory in the Middle East called Sinai Peninsula. Part of the Realm of New Zealand. Partially recognized. Unincorporated territory of the United States. Part of Norway, not part of the Schengen Area, special open - border status under Svalbard Treaty Visa requirements Visa Passport Travel document Africa Central Angolan Cameroonian Central African Republic Chadian DR Congo R Congo Equatorial Guinean Gabonese Santomean Eastern Burundian Comorian Djiboutian Eritrean Ethiopian Kenyan Malagasy Malawian Mauritian Mozambican Rwandan Seychellois Somali ( Somaliland ) South Sudanese Tanzanian Ugandan Zambian Zimbabwean Northern Algerian Egyptian Libyan Moroccan Sudanese Tunisian Southern Botswana Lesotho Namibian Saint Helena South African Swazi Western Beninese Burkinabe Cape Verdean Gambian Ghanaian Guinean Guinea - Bissauan Ivorian Liberian Malian Mauritanian Nigerian Nigerien Senegalese Sierra Leonean Togolese Americas Caribbean Anguillan Antigua and Barbuda Bahamian Barbadian British Virgin Islands Caymanian Cuban Dominica Dominican Republic Grenadian Haitian Jamaican Montserratian Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucian Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago Turks and Caicos Islands Central Belizean Costa Rican El Salvador Guatemalan Honduran Nicaraguan Panamanian North Bermudian Canadian Mexican United States South Argentine Bolivian Brazilian Chilean Colombian Ecuadorian Guyanese Paraguayan Peruvian Surinamese Uruguayan Venezuelan Asia Central & North Afghanistani Kazakhstani Kyrgyzstani Russian Tajik Turkmen Uzbekistani East Chinese Hong Kongese Macanese Japanese North Korean South Korean Mongolian Taiwanese South Bangladeshi Bhutanese Indian Maldivian Nepalese Pakistani Sri Lankan Southeast Bruneian Cambodian East Timorese Indonesian Laotian Malaysian Myanmar Philippine Singaporean Thai Vietnamese Western Abkhaz Armenian Artsakh Azerbaijani Bahraini Cypriot Egyptian Georgian Emirati Iranian Iraqi Israeli Jordanian Kuwaiti Lebanese Northern Cypriot Omani Palestinian Qatari Saudi South Ossetian Syrian Turkish Yemeni Europe European Union Austrian Belgian British ( BOTC BN ( O ) BOC ) Bulgarian Croatian Cypriot Czech Danish Dutch Estonian ( Non-citizens ) Finnish French German Greek Hungarian Irish Italian Latvian ( Non-citizens ) Lithuanian Luxembourg Maltese Polish Portuguese Romanian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish Other Europe Abkhaz Albanian Andorran Armenian Artsakh Azerbaijani Belarusian Bosnian and Herzegovinian Georgian Gibraltar Icelandic Kazakhstani Kosovan Liechtenstein Macedonia Moldovan Monégasque Montenegrin Northern Cypriot Norwegian Russian San Marino Serbian South Ossetian Sovereign Military Order of Malta Swiss Transnistrian Turkish Ukrainian Vatican City Oceania Australian Fijian Kiribati Marshallese Micronesian Nauruan New Zealand Palauan Papua New Guinean Pitcairn Islands Samoan Solomon Islands Tongan Tuvaluan Vanuatuan British Overseas Territories. Open border with Schengen Area. Russia is a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. The vast majority of its population ( 80 % ) lives in European Russia. Turkey is a transcontinental country in the Middle East and Southeast Europe. Has a small part of its territory ( 3 % ) in Southeast Europe called Turkish Thrace. Azerbaijan and Georgia ( Abkhazia ; South Ossetia ) are transcontinental countries. Both have a small part of their territories in the European part of the Caucasus. Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country. Has a small part of its territories located west of the Urals in Eastern Europe. Armenia ( Artsakh ) and Cyprus ( Northern Cyprus ) are entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio - political connections with Europe. Egypt is a transcontinental country in North Africa and the Middle East. Has a small part of its territory in the Middle East called Sinai peninsula. Partially recognized. Immigration law Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Visa_policy_of_Canada&oldid=814609158 '' Categories : Visa policy by country Romani - related controversies Canadian law Immigration to Canada Hidden categories : Incomplete lists from July 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Italiano Türkçe Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 9 December 2017, at 21 : 26. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did they start requiring a passport to go to canada
Answer: 10 November 2016