Canada Transit Visa

The Canadian Transit Visa lets you travel through a Canadian airport en route to another country. If you intend to stay in the country for more than 48 hours, leave the airport, or enter Canada by car, bus, train, cruise ship, or boat, you need a visitor visa. It’s valid for one or two entries,…

Josh Rapaport

September 25, 2024

The Canadian Transit Visa lets you travel through a Canadian airport en route to another country. If you intend to stay in the country for more than 48 hours, leave the airport, or enter Canada by car, bus, train, cruise ship, or boat, you need a visitor visa. It’s valid for one or two entries, depending on your itinerary, and you must use it before it expires.

The Transit Visa is created only for passengers from visa-required countries, is free, and generally doesn’t take long to process. In this article, we will go through all the details on who needs the visa, how to apply for it, and what documents you need. 

Understanding the Canadian Transit Visa

People who need an Airport Transit Visa are foreign nationals and stateless people. They must obtain the visa when:

  • They transit through Canada for less than 48 hours
  • They transit via plane
  • Their country of origin is a visa-required country
  • They don’t have a valid visitor visa (temporary resident visa)

Transiting through Canada by plane includes situations such as international flight stops on the way to a foreign country or flights connecting at a Canadian airport. As long as your plane stops in Canada on your way to a third country, you must have a transit visa — even if it’s only to board another plane.

Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Israel, the UK, and most EU countries and British overseas territories do not require a visa to transit through Canada. Instead, they need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). 

Passport holders of most other countries do require a Transit Visa. The full list of nationalities that require a transit visa is on the official government website.

Transit Visa Eligibility 

An eligible applicant must: 

  • Have a valid passport 
  • Prove that they’ll travel further from Canada (a confirmed flight ticket)
  • Have no criminal record or immigration-related convictions
  • Convince the authorities they will leave Canada in 48 hours or less

Canada Transit Visa Application Process

The visa application rules are determined by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). 

You are required to apply online in most cases, as paper applications are only available to:

  • People who cannot complete their applications online due to disability
  • People who have an identity or travel document that was issued to a refugee, a stateless person, or a non-citizen

Online visa applications are relatively straightforward. First, you must create an IRCC Portal account or sign in to an existing one. If you need to create an account, you will receive an invite code to ensure your application is secure.

Once you sign in, you must complete the online form on the portal and upload the necessary documents.

After you submit your visa application, you may be asked to:

  • Join a visa interview
  • Have a medical examination
  • Provide police clearance
  • Provide biometrics (fingerprints and a photo)

Required Documents

When applying for a transit visa, you need the following documents:

  • A clear color scan of a valid passport or alternative travel document (if you’re stateless, a refugee, or a non-citizen)
  • A family information form
  • Use of a representative form (if a family member or a third party is applying on your behalf)
  • Minor children documents(if a minor child is traveling with only one parent, a relative, or alone)

If you want to strengthen your transit visa application, you can provide additional documents like your travel history and your itinerary. You will see a full list of documents on the portal after you choose Transit in the Visa Requested field. 

If you’re applying on paper, the documents will be the same, but you will have to download the application package created for your country. The package includes an instruction file that will tell you how to apply. Follow the instructions and include the required documents. After that, you can mail the application to your local visa office.

Transit Visa Fee and Processing Times

The time for you to get the Transit Visa for Canada depends on your nationality, the time it takes for you to supply biometrics, and the general workload the offices have.

However, it typically takes less time than for a standard visitor visa. 

Also, while the Transit Visa is free of charge, you may need to pay a biometrics fee or translations.

Transit Visa Exemptions 

Travelers might be exempt from needing a transit visa in certain situations. We will describe these situations below.

Passport holders from certain countries are visa-exempt, including Australians, New Zealanders, UK citizens, and most EU citizens. Check whether you are from one of the countries on the official government list, and if you are, you only need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

Citizens and permanent residents of the United States are also exempt. They can transit through Canada using any method of travel without needing a transit visa. All they need is proof of citizenship or permanent residence, such as:

  • passport
  • birth certificate
  • certificate of citizenship or naturalization
  • certificate of Indian Status along with photo identification
  • US Permanent Resident Card

However, they do need an eTA if they’re transiting through Canada by air.

The eTA costs only CAD7, and you can apply for it online. Also, you can check your application status on the Canadian government website to ensure you receive on time.

If you’re from China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, or Taiwan (passport with no personal identification number) and are traveling from or to the US, you may not need a transit visa. This is thanks to the China Transit Program (CPT) and Transit Without Visa Program (TWOV).

Other exemptions include:

  • Foreign nationals on a flight that makes an unplanned stop in Canada
  • Passengers coming from or going to the United States on a flight that stops in Canada solely to refuel
  • Travel and official representatives
  • Travelers entering Canada with a valid visa

Canada Transit Visa Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a transit visa if I’m only changing planes in Canada?

Yes. If your international flight stops in Canada and you come from a visa-required country, you need a transit visa. As it may take several weeks for it to be processed, it’s important to apply in time. 

What happens if my flight is delayed and my stay in Canada exceeds 48 hours?

If your flight is canceled or delayed, you must contact the CBSA to reconnect your flight. While this is a valid visa, it is not meant for people to visit Canada, only transit the country by air. 

Can I leave the airport while transiting through Canada with a transit visa?

This visa category was not created for visits. In other words, you cannot leave the Canadian airport without a valid visitor visa.