When traveling to a specific country, it is acceptable to pass through Canada by air, land, train, or sea.
Furthermore, practically any country in the globe allows you to travel through Canada. At the point of entry, you can be asked to present a Canadian visa, depending on your nationality.
The road borders, airports, and harbors in Canada are a few examples of these ports of entry.
Furthermore, to cross Canada into another nation, you must present a specified set of documentation.
The necessary paperwork is contingent upon several things, such as:
- Your type of passport
- If you possess a valid US visa or are a permanent resident
- Which mode of transportation will you be using: air, land (vehicle & bus), sea (boat & cruise ship), or rail (train)
How long it will take you to go across Canada
Naturally, depending on the situation, you might require a transit visa, visiting visa, or electronic travel authorization (eTA) to cross into another nation when traveling through Canada.
You can thus find out from reading this article whether you require a visa or permission from the Canadian government to travel through Canada and arrive at your destination.
What is Transiting?
Transiting, in general, refers to moving or passing from one place to another.
It is implied that when you transit through Canada, you leave the country and enter another one.
Can I Transit Through Canada as a Foreigner?
If you are traveling via Canada by air and your nation requires an eTA, you will need one. If you’re traveling across Canada and enter by train, bus, boat, or cruise ship, you don’t require an eTA. Yes, you must bring the appropriate travel documentation.
Modes of transit through Canada
Yes, there are several ways to get from Canada to your final destination. These include transportation by train, road, sea, and air.
Air: Naturally, you can fly to a specific nation and pass via an airport in Canada. When traveling abroad, this is one of the most popular ways for foreigners to get from one place to another.
Furthermore, there are various methods for traveling across Canada. If a plane has a connecting trip, every passenger may have to board an additional aircraft at a Canadian airport to reach their final destination.
Furthermore, there’s a chance that for whatever reason, your foreign aircraft to that nation will need to make a stop at an airport in Canada.
Road (car & bus): There is no doubt that you can travel throughout Canada in a car or by getting into a bus or other commercial vehicle.
Sea (boat & cruise ship): Traveling through Canada by sea means, such as boat or cruise ship, is undoubtedly permissible for foreigners.
Rail: It is possible to travel across Canada by rail, for example, by train to another nation.
Requirements to transit through Canada
In particular, to transit through Canada and enter a nation, you need to have a valid passport or travel document.
Therefore, the following documentation must be obtained at the Canadian border or airport to apply.
- All travel documents
- ArriveCAN receipt
- Pre-entry test results
- Proof of vaccination
Find out if you require a visa to travel across Canada.
This section examines the requirements for transit, tourist, and electronic travel authorization (eTA) to pass through Canada and arrive in a particular nation.
Visitor visa to transit through Canada
Certainly, traveling through Canada by automobile, bus, boat, train, or cruise ship from a nation where a visa is necessary is necessitated by a Canadian visiting visa.
Using any of these means of transportation to enter Canada and cross her borders is equally crucial.
If you are traveling from a nation where a visa is necessary, you also need a visitor’s visa and will need to spend more than 48 hours in Canada while in transit.
Furthermore, even if you are only flying through Canada for a few hours, you still need a visitor’s visa to enter the country.
Canada Transit Visa for Foreigners
You will undoubtedly receive a Canadian transit visa if you are a citizen of any of the visa-required nations, subject to certain requirements, such as;
- You need to pass through Canada in less than 48 hours; however, your visitor visa is not now valid.
- If your foreign flight to another nation stops in the middle of the journey at a Canadian airport, you must take a connecting international flight there.
Visa-required Countries to Transit Through Canada
Naturally, if you want to travel through Canada by land, air, train, or sea from any of these nations where a visa is necessary, you must have a valid Canadian visa.
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia-Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil (Some Brazilians might be eligible for eTA under specific circumstances.)
- British subjects, subject to control
- Burkina Faso
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China (People’s Republic)
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo (Democratic Republic)
- Congo (Republic)
- Costa Rica (Republic)
- 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 (An authentic Israeli travel document is needed instead of a national one.)
- Ivory Coast
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Korea (North)
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR)
- Macedonia
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives Islands
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Micronesia (Federated States)
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestinian Authority
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Qatar
- Romania (A temporary passport or other non-electronic passport is needed.)
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Sao Tomé e Principe
- Saudi Arabia (Kingdom)
- 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 passport with a personal identification number in addition to the one issued by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Transit Without a Visa Through Canada
Does Canada allow travel without a visa? Yes, that is the response.
All forms of transportation within Canada are indeed visa-free for US citizens and permanent residents traveling to other nations.
You must bring all of your travel documentation.
Additionally, if you possess a passport from one of the following nations, you can enter Canada without a visa.
- China
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Thailand
- Taiwan (passport holders without a Personal Identification Number)
Canada Visa Exempt-countries
To travel through Canada by air, you undoubtedly need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
Furthermore, none of these nations need an eTA to travel by land or sea through Canada.
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belgium
- British citizen
via birth, naturalization, descent, or registration in any of the following territories, a citizen of an overseas territory.
- Anguilla
- Bermuda
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
- Gibraltar
- Montserrat
- Pitcairn Island
- Saint Helena
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- British (Residents of the UK with permission to remain)
- Brunei Darussalam
- Bulgaria
- Chile
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (must be a holder of a Hong Kong SAR passport).
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel (An Israeli national passport is necessary)
- Italy
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Papua New Guinea
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania (Only those with electronic passports qualify)
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan (must have another passport, aside from the one issued by Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has a Personal Identification Number)
- United Arab Emirates
- United States (including permanent residents)
- Vatican City State (A passport or other travel document issued by the Vatican is needed.)
Canada’s eTA cost
Indeed, obtaining an electronic travel authorization (eTA) to cross Canadian borders costs $7 7 CAD
How to Apply For a Transit Visa
To apply for a transit visa, you must use the IRCC Portal online.
To apply online, take the following steps:
1. First, register and log in
If this is your first time using the IRCC Portal, we will require your email address before providing you with an account creation code.
2. Fill out the online form and attach your files.
Following your completion of the questions, you will receive a list of documents that you must upload.
This covers the paperwork you submitted with your visa application.
How to Process the Electronic Travel Authorisation
- Keep your passport close at reach.
- possess a working debit or credit card
- To access the online application for the eTA, go to the Canada Immigration website.
- After filling out the application, make sure you pay the $7 (CAD) eTA cost.
- For any extra documents you need to provide to get approved, check the email address you gave for approval correspondence.
Who is Qualified to Transit Through Canada with a Passport?
- Valid U.S. visas allow citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States to enter Canada.
- Individuals holding valid visas from both the United States and Canada can travel through Canada as dual citizens.
- TWOV foreign nationals are those who are citizens of nations that are part of the China Transit Program and the Transit Without Visa Program (China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan).
- Vancouver International Airport (British Columbia), Winnipeg International Airport (Manitoba), Toronto Pearson International Airport, Terminal 1 (Ontario), and Calgary International Airport (Alberta) are the airport authorities in Canada.
- Air carriers include Hainan Airlines, Jazz Air, Philippines Airlines, WestJet, Xiamen Airlines, Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air China, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, and India.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I travel across Canada at this time?
Yes, as long as you have a valid passport or other travel document, you are free to enter and exit Canada whenever you choose.
Do I require a visa to go across Canada using my passport as an alien from Estonia?
If you are an Estonian alien or a stateless person, you will undoubtedly require a Canadian visa to enter or exit Canada.
Who is eligible to visit Canada without a visa?
Passengers from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Taiwan can certainly enter Canada without a visa.
Are visas needed for Filipinos to travel to Canada?
Yes, holders of Filipino passports can travel through Canada without a visa.
Is a visa required for Mexicans to enter Canada?
Yes, only by land or water are Mexicans able to enter Canada without travel authorization.
Can nationals of the UK travel through Canada?
Yes, if arriving by air, British nationals can transit through Canada using an electronic travel authority (eTA). Nevertheless, whether you are traveling by land or sea, you do not require an eTA.
How to apply for an eTA
Travelers are required to apply for an ETA online through the Government of Canada website. To apply, you must have a functional email account.
How much does an eTA cost Canada?
An eTA is priced at $ 7D by the Canadian government. Applicants need to have a working debit or credit card to make the payment.
How does an eTA appear?
Since an eTA is a digital document, your passport number is electronically linked to it. As a result, the Government of Canada will not send you a paper copy.
For what duration is an eTA valid?
Upon approval, an eTA is valid for five years, or until the expiration of your passport, whichever comes first. Check the Canada eTA status check tool to see if your eTA is still valid.
How long does it take for Canada to approve an eTA?
The majority of eTAs are approved by the Canadian government in minutes. But occasionally, processing takes longer. Within 72 hours of submitting your application, you can receive instructions if more documentation is needed.
Conclusion
It takes careful planning, compliance with visa rules, and knowledge of airport protocols for foreign nationals to transit through Canada.
You can guarantee a seamless and stress-free transit experience by being knowledgeable, heeding important advice, and being ready for immigration and customs inspections.
Canada’s dedication to passenger safety and immaculate airports help to ensure that your trip is enjoyable and unforgettable. Thanks for reading!