It is every traveler’s nightmare: You are standing ready at the check-in counter, but the airline refuses to let you board. The reason? A missing or incorrect entry permit. What do you need to keep in mind when entering Canada?
Who needs a visa (Visitor Visa)?
Applying for the classic visitor visa to enter Canada is time-consuming, expensive, and it must be physically glued into your passport. Check whether you need a visa on the official website.
Target Group
- Citizens from non-visa-exempt countries (many countries outside the EU, e.g., Russia, China, India, Turkey, many African and South American states).
- Citizens of certain visa-required countries (e.g., Brazil, Morocco, Philippines, Thailand) can, under certain conditions (e.g., if they have had a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or hold a valid US visa), apply for an eTA instead if they are arriving by air.
When do you need a visa?
Always – regardless of whether you are entering by plane, car, or ship.
Where do you get the visa?
You do not apply for a visa for Canada directly at the embassy, but rather in a two-step process that primarily takes place online.
1. The Digital Application
The actual application is done exclusively online via the official website of the Canadian immigration authorities. You must create an IRCC Secure Account there (usually via a “GCKey”). There, you upload all documents (passport copies, proof of funds, travel itineraries) and pay the fees by credit card.
2. The Physical Appointment
After you have submitted and paid for the online application, you will receive a request to provide biometric data (Biometric Instruction Letter). Only now do you have to physically go to an official acceptance point, a so-called Visa Application Centre (VAC). You must book an appointment in advance on the VFS Global website. Without an appointment and without the letter from the Canadian authorities (Biometric Instruction Letter), you will not be admitted there.
Locations of the VACs in Germany & Austria:
- Vienna: VFS Global (Canada VAC)
- Berlin: VFS Global (Canada VAC)
- Düsseldorf: VFS Global (Canada VAC)
Who needs an eTA?
The Electronic Travel Authorization is an electronic pre-screening for visa-exempt travelers entering Canada.
Target Group
- Citizens from visa-exempt countries (these include Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and all other EU countries).
- Citizens of other western industrialized nations (e.g., Australia, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea).
- US Green Card holders (regardless of their citizenship) need an eTA for flights to Canada and must have their Green Card with them.
When do you need an eTA?
Only when entering by plane (even for pure transit/layovers in Canada).
When is the eTA NOT needed?
When entering by land (car, bus, train from the USA) or by sea (cruise ship). In this case, a valid passport is sufficient.
How do you apply for the eTA?
There are two dangers lurking when applying for the Canadian eTA: number transpositions in the form and expensive third-party websites that charge you ten times the actual fee. The application for the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is fortunately straightforward, but should be done before booking your flight, or at least a few days before departure, to avoid stress.
Preparation & Requirements
Before you start the application, have the following things ready. The form cannot be saved in between, so you have to fill it out in one go.
- Valid passport: This must be from a visa-exempt country (e.g., Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Your passport must be valid for the entire duration of the stay. Canada does not require 6 months of remaining validity beyond the trip, but if the passport expires, you must leave. Each child needs their own passport. Entries in a parent’s passport are invalid.
- Email address: You will receive the confirmation at this address.
- Payment method: A credit card (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) or debit card. The fee is 7 CAD (approx. 5 EUR). If a website charges significantly more than 7 CAD, you have landed on a third-party site. Only use the official government site.
The Application Process (Step by Step)
Step 1: Visit the official website
Go exclusively to the official website of the Canadian government. The form is only available in English or French. However, there are official help documents (PDFs) in German available on the site.
Step 2: Fill out the form
You will be asked for personal data, passport details, and background information (e.g., occupation, available funds for the trip, health questions).
Most important point: Type in your passport number extremely carefully. The most common cause of problems at the airport is transposed numbers or confusing the letter “O” with the number “0” in the passport number.
Step 3: Payment
After entering all the data, you must pay the fee of 7 CAD directly online. Print out the payment receipt; there is no way to get a receipt later.
Step 4: Confirmation via email
Usually, you will receive an email with the approval (“eTA approved”) within a few minutes. Sometimes it can take up to 72 hours if a manual review is necessary. In this case, you will receive an interim update email.
After Approval
The eTA is electronically linked to your passport number. You do not need to bring a paper printout to the airport. At check-in, the airline automatically sees the approval in the system when they scan your passport.
The eTA is valid for up to 5 years or until your passport expires (whichever comes first).
Upon Arrival in Canada (Immigration Control)
At the Canadian airport, you must go through passport and customs control.
- Inspection Kiosks: At most major airports, the customs and immigration declaration is done at a digital machine (Primary Inspection Kiosk). Here you scan your passport and answer the questions on the screen. You must declare all goods you bring with you.
- Cash: Amounts of 10,000 CAD or more (or the equivalent in another currency) must be declared.
- Alcohol and Tobacco: There are allowances for duty-free importation per person (minimum age depending on the province is 18 or 19 years). Usual amounts are, for example, 1.5 liters of wine or 1.14 liters of spirits and 200 cigarettes.
- Gifts: Gifts (that stay in Canada) are duty-free up to a value of 60 CAD per gift.
- Food: The importation of food, especially meat, dairy products, plants, and fresh fruits/vegetables, is strictly regulated or prohibited. When in doubt, declare everything. Don’t worry, you can also answer the questions in German or English. At the end of the process, you receive a slip of paper with a number and your own picture. Keep this safe; it will be needed later at customs. To speed up the process at the kiosk, you can voluntarily submit your customs declaration via the official ArriveCAN app or website up to 72 hours before your flight.
- Conversation with the Border Officer: After the kiosk, a short conversation with an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) may follow. Have the following documents ready:
- Your passport.
- Proof of financial means for your stay.
- If applicable, a hotel booking or a return flight ticket to prove your tourist intention.
- Solo Travelers with Children: If only one parent is traveling with a child, there are very strict checks at the border upon entering Canada to prevent child abduction. You absolutely need a letter of consent from the parent staying at home (preferably in English/French) as well as copies of their ID.
- Picking up Luggage: After you have picked up your luggage, you go through customs. Here you hand over the slip of paper you received at the kiosk. From time to time, luggage checks also take place.
After you have gone through this last step of entering Canada, it is time to say: “Welcome to Canada!”
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