Documents to travel to Canada

What do the Niagara Fallsthe polar bears and the Aurora borealis? That you can enjoy all of them, in one and wonderful place: Canada. This country has been recognized on several occasions as the best destination to travel and it is not surprising, since it abounds in beautiful and varied places, that anyone can feel comfortable being there.

Canada is one of those countries that literally has it all and that is why it attracts so many tourists. If you’re landscape lover, there are hundreds of locations that will amaze you. If you want to enjoy the heat on crystal clear beaches, Vancouver, Toronto and Québec they won’t let you down. And along with its many natural spectacles, you will also find cities that will evoke the best of European architecture, modernity, safety and an exciting nightlife.

The lovers of art, history and archeology, they can also enjoy the many museums, parks, routes and sites that make up the national heritage. And of course, they will be able to taste their rich gastronomy and have the opportunity to taste the famous Poutine or accompany the waffles with authentic maple syrup. So that, there are plenty of reasons to discover Canada.

Requirements to travel to Canada

IF you are already encouraged with the idea, the first thing you should do, to plan the trip, is to know what are the requirements that will be demanded of you. Other aspects of your stay will depend on it, such as, for example, the duration time. In this sense, if you visit the country as a tourist or businessYou will need to gather the following documents:

• .It must be valid and will be accepted as long as it does not lose validity during the stay. That is, those citizens whose passport is close to the expiration date must renew it before traveling to Canada. Likewise, it is important that it has at least one blank page. This so that the immigration authorities can put the entry and exit stamps.
• ETA or Visitor Visa. Depending on the nationality of the tourist, the Canadian authorities will require one of these entry permits. Later we will explain to whom and how you can request them.
• Clean criminal record. It must be issued by the authority of the country of origin. Those who have been convicted of immigration offenses will not be able to enter Canada.
• Airplane ticket. Or failing that, a reservation proving the date of departure from Canada.
• Proof of economic solvency. Valid means of proof are bank references or account statements. Of these, the real possibility of the traveler to assume the expenses derived from his visit must be verified.

Canadian Visa| Who needs it to enter the country?

canada grants two entry permits to the country, which are requested according to the visitor’s nationality. One of them is the visa and this is required of citizens of certain countries, mainly belonging to Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Said authorization must be presented not only at the airports, but also in case of entering through by sea or land. In the following link, you can verify who has to process it according to their nationality: https://www.siminca.com/en/electronic-travel-authorization/

It is a visitor visa or of temporary residence and is different from the one granted by reasons for study or in order to live in Canada. To obtain it, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

• Travel without the intention of working in Canada.
• Show that you are in good health.
• Not have a criminal record.
• Demonstrate economic solvency.
• Submit proof of links in your country of origin. They serve as elements of presumption that the person has reason to return.

The request can be processed by electronically or personally in the Canadian embassy operating in the country where the applicant resides. In any case, the aforementioned requirements must be presented at the corresponding opportunity before said office, including the payment for the processing fees.

Electronic Travel Authorization | Who can request it?

The second permit that Canada grants to its visitors is the Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA, for its acronym in English). Said document is required of those who enter the country and, due to their nationality, do not need to request a temporary residence visa. From the following portal, you can check who can opt for the ETA: https://e-visado.es/nacionalidades?filter-destination=canada

It is important to clarify that this document is only required if traveling by airway. Those who enter the country in train, cruise ship, bus or private vehicle they are exempt from it, as long as they are citizens of one of the countries that enjoy this benefit.

Now, because it is a electronic document, the request must be made virtually. Therefore, those interested will have to enter the web portal enabled by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canadanamely: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigrateyouion-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta/apply-en.html

The procedure is much simpler than the one foreseen for the application for the visitor visa. Enough with enter the website aforementioned and complete the form that will be displayed on the screen. Similarly, prior to the start of the process, it is necessary to have:

• Valid and current passport.
• Email address.
• Credit or debit card, to pay the 7$ CAD corresponding to the fees.

Authorities may request to attach other documentsto verify that the person complies with the requirements. Therefore, it is important to contributetruthful information and that corresponds to that expressed in the passport, air ticket, hotel reservationetc.

Regular applications take Come in three and five dayswhile those of urgency can be answered in less than 18 minutes. In the latter case, the applicant will have to pay a $17.50 surcharge per person.

Restrictions established due to COVID-19

Canada is one of the countries that took the longest to open its doors to tourists, since the quarantine began. Just on September 07, 2024 opened its borders to foreigners and nationals, who travel by non-essential reasons. However, he established a entry protocol that everyone must comply with and that is based on the following measures:

• Complete vaccination schedule. All people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to enter Canada. Only products from Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are recognized. It is essential that the trip occurs after 14 days after the administration of the last dose.
• PCR test. A negative test result must be submitted, performed within 72 hours prior to arrival in Canada. Positive PCR tests will also be accepted, provided that they have been carried out between 14 and 180 days prior to the trip and that the person does not have symptoms related to COVID-19. This requirement does not apply to children under 5 years of age.
• Exceptional cases. As a general rule, citizens over 12 years of age who do not have the complete vaccination schedule will not be able to enter Canada. However, when this requirement has not been met, but there are urgent reasons such as the farewell of a loved one who has died, an exceptional entry permit will be granted. This information can be expanded on the following website: https://e-visado.es/canada/noticias/excepciones-prohibicion-entrada-coronavirus

Travelers who are not vaccinated and insist on traveling to Canada must undergo a quarantine period and cover its cost. In this sense, they will have to demonstrate that they possess the economic resources necessary for this and comply with the national confinement rulesand may be punished with a prison sentence of up to 3 years in case of disobeying them.

By virtue of the existence of the new variant, OmicronCanada has prohibited the entry of foreigners who have been in countries located in the South Africa in the last 14 days. Before establishing such a measure, it is recommended keep up with the news that arise around the pandemic, as well as the statements issued by the authorities.

In any case, each citizen must be responsible for complying with the sanitary measures recommended by the World Health Organization. Similarly, cooperate with biosafety standards set by the airlines. Thus, it will be possible to keep international tourism active and continue enjoying the wonders that Canada has for the visitor.