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North America · 45.42° N · 75.70° W

Canada visa and entry requirements

Visa-exempt travellers flying to or through a Canadian airport need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). It costs CAD 7, is usually approved within minutes and stays valid for five years, but it is never needed to enter by road, rail or sea.

Verified on canada.ca · October 21, 2026

Key facts

Authorisation
Canada eTA – Electronic Travel Authorization
Stay
180 days · Multiple entries
Validity
5 years from issue
Authority processing
Up to 3 days
Passport
Valid for your whole stay

Apply before you buy your flight: most answers are instant, but if IRCC needs documents it emails instructions within 72 hours and the review can take several days. If you already hold an eTA, check it is linked to the passport you will travel with.

With your passport

Embassy visa

You need a visa from an embassy

Canada does not issue an online visa to Bahraini passport holders. You need to apply at an embassy or consulate — a service Visaska does not offer.

Official portal

The eTA is issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) through the canada.ca application form. It is electronically linked to one passport and checked by the airline before boarding; on arrival, a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer decides whether you are admitted and for how long, normally up to six months. The form is typed by hand, with no passport upload or photo in the standard case, and asks about your passport, contact details, employment, trip, and background and health questions, including past refusals, criminal convictions and tuberculosis. Most applications are approved in minutes; when documents such as a police certificate or a medical exam are needed, IRCC sends instructions by email within 72 hours, which can add days or weeks.

Most visited cities

  • 43.65° N · 79.38° W

    Toronto

    The CN Tower, the Lake Ontario waterfront, neighbourhoods such as Kensington Market and day trips to Niagara Falls.

  • 49.28° N · 123.12° W

    Vancouver

    Stanley Park, the seawall, Granville Island and the North Shore mountains, close to the city centre.

  • 45.50° N · 73.57° W

    Montreal

    Old Montreal and its port, Mount Royal and the summer festivals of a largely French-speaking city.

Photo credits: Toronto — Maksim Sokolov (maxergon.com), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vancouver — dronepicr, CC BY 2.0 · Montreal — Shrakel, CC BY-SA 3.0

How it works

From scan to payment in under 60 seconds.

  1. 01

    Scan your passport

    Point your phone at the photo page or upload it. We read it in seconds — nothing to type.

  2. 02

    See the full price, then pay

    Service fee and government fee are shown before you pay. No account needed, just your email.

  3. 03

    Answer what’s left

    Only the official questions your passport did not answer. Saved as you go; finishing them is what lets us file.

  4. 04

    Track it to your inbox

    We file on the official portal, follow up with the authority and send you the approved document.

Entry rules at the border

Passport
Valid for your whole stayYour passport must be valid for the whole stay. The eTA expires with the passport, and the border officer can limit your stay to the passport's expiry date.
Blank pages
No blank-page rule is published. The CBSA does not always stamp passports, so ask the officer for a stamp if you need proof of your entry date.
Onward ticket
May be askedNot required by law, but the CBSA officer can ask how and when you will leave; a return or onward booking is the simplest answer.
Vaccinations
No vaccination requiredNo vaccination is required to visit Canada, and there is no yellow fever certificate requirement, whichever country you arrive from.
Insurance
RecommendedNot required. Provincial health plans do not cover visitors, so travel medical insurance is strongly recommended.
Ports of entry
An eTA is needed only for arrivals by air, including connections at Toronto, Vancouver or Montréal. Visitors entering by car, bus, train or boat, including cruise ships, need only their passport.

Also good to know

  • Firearms, cannabis and cash or monetary instruments of CAD 10,000 or more must be declared to the CBSA; bringing cannabis across the border is illegal even though it is legal in Canada.

Why applications get refused — and what we check

Criminal record, including impaired driving

Canada treats driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs as serious criminality. A conviction, even an old one abroad, can make you inadmissible unless you have obtained rehabilitation or a temporary resident permit.

What we checkWe go through the criminal-history question with you, including driving offences and convictions outside your home country, before you answer it.

Undeclared refusal or immigration problem

Past refusals of a visa, permit or entry to Canada or any other country must be declared. Hiding one is misrepresentation, which can bar you from Canada for five years.

What we checkWe ask about every past refusal or removal, in any country, so the answer is complete and the explanation field is filled in clearly.

eTA linked to the wrong passport

The passport number cannot be pasted on the official form and must be typed twice. A digit typed wrongly gives an approved eTA that the airline cannot find, and you are stopped at check-in.

What we checkWe take the number from the machine-readable zone, check the three-letter country code and the expiry date, and confirm it is the passport you will travel with.

Health answers that trigger a medical review

Recent close contact with tuberculosis or a diagnosis of TB, or a serious health condition, can lead IRCC to request a medical exam before deciding.

What we checkWe explain what the health questions cover so you answer them accurately, and warn you to allow extra time if a medical exam may be requested.

What if…

Real situations our agents handle, and what to do.

IRCC emailed me asking for more documents.
Your eTA is not refused; it is on hold. Send exactly what the email asks for, such as a police certificate, through the link it gives and within the deadline. Processing restarts from receipt, so move your flight if needed.
I want to stay longer than the border officer allowed.
Apply online for a visitor record at least 30 days before your authorised stay ends. You may remain in Canada under the same conditions while IRCC decides, provided you applied before expiry.
I am driving from Seattle to Vancouver, then flying home from Vancouver.
No eTA is needed for the road crossing, but an eTA is needed for any flight into Canada. Leaving Canada by air does not require one, so this itinerary works without an eTA.
I am travelling with my children.
Each child needs their own eTA with their own fee. A parent fills it in, answering yes to applying on behalf of someone. If a child travels with only one parent, carry a consent letter from the other parent; the CBSA may ask for it.
My form timed out before payment.
The official form cannot be saved and must be completed in one sitting. Start again with all details at hand; you are only charged once you pay at the end.

Questions travellers ask

How much does the eTA cost?
CAD 7 per person, paid online by Visa, Mastercard or American Express (prepaid cards included), Visa Debit, Debit Mastercard, UnionPay or JCB. It is not refunded if the eTA is refused. Sites asking for more are adding their own service charge.
Do I need an eTA to drive in from the United States?
No. The eTA applies only to air travel. At a land crossing or on a cruise ship, visa-exempt travellers present their passport; you would need an eTA only for a later flight into Canada.
Do I need an eTA to change planes in Canada?
Yes. Visa-exempt travellers connecting in Toronto, Vancouver or Montréal need an eTA even if they never leave the airport.
How long can I stay?
Usually up to six months per entry. The CBSA officer can grant less, for example to match your passport expiry or your return ticket; the date written in your passport, if any, prevails.
I have a US green card. Do I need an eTA?
No. US lawful permanent residents are exempt from the eTA. Present your green card and a valid passport at check-in and at the border.
I am a dual Canadian citizen. Can I use my other passport with an eTA?
No. Canadian citizens cannot apply for an eTA and must fly to Canada on a valid Canadian passport. US-Canadian dual citizens can also use their US passport.
Do I need to upload a photo or my passport?
Not in the standard application: everything is typed. Keep your passport open on the data page, as the form asks for the three-letter issuing country code, the issue and expiry dates, and the number twice.
How long is the eTA valid?
Five years, or until the passport it is linked to expires, whichever comes first. A new passport means a new eTA and a new CAD 7 fee.
Can someone else apply for me?
Yes. The form asks whether you are applying on behalf of someone; a representative, paid or not, gives their details and a consent declaration. The answers remain your responsibility.
Do I need to print the eTA?
No. The approval email is enough; the eTA is read electronically from your passport at check-in. Keep the email in case the airline cannot see the record.
Can I work or study on an eTA?
No. The eTA covers tourism, family visits and business visitors. Studies of six months or less are allowed without a study permit; paid work in Canada requires a work permit.

Other passports

The requirements above are for a Bahraini passport. For another passport, change it in the price column or see the list.

Entry without a visaSee the 1 passportsPassports1StayUp to 180 daysGovernment feeNoneProcessingNone

1 passport enters Canada without a visa, for stays of up to 180 days. Nothing has to be filed before the flight to Canada: the passport is stamped at the border. What trips people up: border officers in Canada can ask for a return or onward ticket.

eTA before departureSee the 52 passportsPassports52StayUp to 180 daysGovernment feeCA$7ProcessingUp to 3 days

52 passports need the eTA for Canada, filed online before departure. The government fee for the eTA for Canada is CA$7, and the authorities take up to 3 days. Besides the passport, the eTA for Canada asks for 2 documents.

Visa from an embassySee the 144 passportsPassports144Stay—Government fee—ProcessingSet by the consulate
Your passport is in this group

144 passports need a visa from an embassy or consulate of Canada before travelling. Visaska does not file these visas: each consulate of Canada sets its own documents and delays, so book the appointment early.

Entry not allowedSee the 1 passportsPassports1Stay—Government fee—Processing—

Canada does not currently admit holders of this passport. Check with the nearest embassy of Canada before making travel plans.

Visaska is a private company, unaffiliated with any government. You can apply directly with the authorities at www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta/apply.html.