The Canadian government has updated its 2026 travel entry requirements, clarifying which foreign nationals can enter the country without a visa and those required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) or a traditional visitor visa.
Under the revised framework released by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), only a limited category of travellers can enter Canada without either a visitor visa or an eTA.
They include United States citizens, lawful permanent residents of the U.S. holding valid Green Cards, French citizens travelling directly from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, as well as eligible diplomatic passport holders and certain commercial flight crew members.
Canada also retained its Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) programme, which allows citizens of dozens of countries to travel to Canada by air without first obtaining a visitor visa. However, they must secure an eTA before departure.
Countries whose citizens qualify for visa-free air travel with an eTA include Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Austria, Greece, Israel and several others.
The updated guidelines also introduced a separate category of travellers from selected countries who may qualify for an eTA only if they meet additional eligibility conditions, including holding specific valid foreign visas or travel permits.
The countries in this category include Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Morocco, Panama, Costa Rica, Seychelles, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Canadian authorities explained that the updated travel framework is intended to simplify entry procedures while maintaining border security by clearly defining documentation requirements based on nationality and mode of travel.
Travellers who do not fall within any of the exempt or eTA-eligible categories will continue to require a standard Canadian visitor visa before entering the country.
The updated policy does not include Nigeria among countries eligible for visa-free entry or eTA-only travel, meaning Nigerian passport holders must continue to obtain a visitor visa before travelling to Canada.
