You Can Now Travel Visa-free to Canada—Here Are the Requirements

The Philippines is included among other countries whose citizens can go to Canada visa-free, under certain conditions, the Canadian embassy declares.

To apply under the eTA Program, travelers only need an email address, a valid passport, a credit card, and access to the internet. The eTA is a digital travel document issued to visa-exempt travelers that allows them to travel to Canada by air. This means that Filipinos can travel without a visa to Canada and are exempted from Canada visa requirements as long as they are qualified and approved under the eTA program.

Under Canada’s eTA Program, travelers must only register online and pay seven Canadian dollars or PhP293 for the application fee. Tourists can stay in Canada for business or leisure visa-free for six months. Applications are approved within minutes.

Another requirement to be eligible under the visa-free program making traveling to Canada visa-free for Filipinos is having a Canadian visa valid in the last 10 years or holding an active United States non-immigrant visa.

If an individual already has a valid and compliant with Canada’s visa requirements, he can continue using it when traveling to Canada.

Filipino travelers who are not eligible under the eTA Program bound to Canada other than air travel, such as by train, boat, bus, or cruise ship, will still need to apply for a visitor’s visa and should comply with the Canada visa requirements.

Expanding Canadian travel to these countries aims to increase travel and tourism, improve international businesses, and strengthen the relationship between the Philippines, Canada, and the countries included in the program.

With this move, the Canadian embassy aims to support Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy to strengthen the relationship with other countries and invest in people-to-people relations between Canada and the Indo-Pacific region, including the Philippines. The program also aims to make traveling to Canada more accessible, easier, faster, safer, and visa-free for Filipinos.

Among other Asian countries in the program are Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Aside from the Philippines, other countries added under the program are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Costa Rica, Morocco, Panama, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay. [1]

The Department of Foreign Affairs accepts Canada’s new announcement and the Philippines’ inclusion in the program, making travel simpler and visa-free for Filipinos. This also indicates an essential milestone in the relationship between Canada and the Philippines.

Minister Sean Fraser of Canadian Immigration said, “The move will allow more individuals from the Philippines to embark on unforgettable adventures, explore our diverse landscapes, reunite with family and friends, and immerse themselves in our vibrant culture without the hurdle of visa requirements.” [2]

1. Read the document.

2. Prepare your requirements: a valid passport and credit or debit card

3. Access the official online form to apply. You cannot save the document, so ensure all information is ready.

4. Pay the application fee after the form has been completed.

5. Wait for the official email about your application to be approved within minutes. The approval email will send your eTA number. Keep and take note of your eTA number.

6. In some cases, one would be required to submit documents before the approval of the application, such as documents needed when traveling with a minor or someone under 18 years of age. Further instructions via email will be sent within 72 hours.

Once the eTA has been approved, it will be linked to the passport used during the application process. Travelers are to present their passports upon checking in on their flight to Canada. The approved eTA is valid, whichever comes first, between up to five years or until the expiration of the passport. Application for a new passport will also require a new application for an eTA document.

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