Canada
Visitor visa for Canada: documents, fees and steps
Tourism (short stay) · 126 nationalities · any residence · ordinary passport
Stay of up to 181 days · Verified on 7 October 2026
VisaGuideline helps you prepare your application. The decision belongs to the country’s authority: check the official page before paying or applying.
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Documents requested
Digital copy of the valid passport or travel documentConditions and details
Document required from all applicants: a clear, colour copy of the passport or travel document used to come to Canada, with the page showing the date of birth and the country or territory of origin, and all pages bearing stamps, visas or annotations. The page recommends a passport valid for at least 6 months from the planned date of travel and recommends renewing it before the application if necessary. A travel document must be issued by a government and indicate name, date of birth, number, citizenship or residence status, photograph and expiry date where applicable.Visitor visa application completed online in the IRCC portalConditions and details
The page requires online submission ("You must apply online"). Paper submission is possible only if the applicant cannot apply online (including because of a disability) or travels with an identity or travel document issued to a refugee, a stateless person or a non-citizen. A scanner or camera is required for the electronic copies, and the instruction guide must be read before completing the application.Documents from the personalised list provided by the portalConditions and details
When applying online, the portal produces a personalised list of documents; the page asks for all the documents listed in it to be provided. Its content depends on the situation and is not reproduced here.
Depending on your situation
Biometric data (fingerprints and photograph) provided in personConditions and details
Unless an exemption applies, an application for temporary residence requires fingerprints and a photograph (US nationals are exempt). Exemptions cited by the page: notably applicants over 79 years of age, children under 14 years of age, and visitor visa applicants who have already provided their data for a permanent residence application that is being processed.Letter authorizing a minor child to travel to Canada, if applicableConditions and details
Requested "if applicable" when a child under 18 years of age is concerned; other documents may be required depending on whether or not the child travels alone (see the "Accompanied minors" recommendation). The questionnaire does not contain a field on accompanied children: the condition is not automated.Additional documents required by the visa office of the country of submissionConditions and details
The visa office may require additional documents depending on the country or territory from which the application is made; the page displays them after that country has been selected. They have not been read here.- "Use of a representative" form (IMM 5476), if an authorized representative is usedDocument listed among those that the portal list may include, only if the applicant uses an authorized representative (see the "Authorized representative" recommendation).
- Form IMM 5475 authorizing the disclosure of information to a designated person, if applicableOnly if the applicant authorises the disclosure of information from their file to a person other than themselves.
- Medical examination, if IRCC requests itAfter submission, IRCC may request a medical examination and then indicates the procedure to follow.
- Police certificate, if IRCC requests itAfter submission, IRCC may request a police certificate, an interview or additional information.
Letter of invitation, if a person or a business in Canada has invited the travellerConditions and details
The page states that a letter of invitation from a person living in Canada may be required, without specifying in which cases for a tourist. The questionnaire does not allow the condition to be automated.
Official fees
- Visitor visa processing fee, per person 100 CAD
- Visitor visa processing fee, family of 5 persons or more (total) 500 CAD
- Biometrics fee, per person 85 CAD
- Biometrics fee, family applying at the same time (total cap) 170 CAD
Steps
- Verify that a visitor visa (and not an eTA) is required: this depends on the travel document, the country that issued it, the nationality and the mode of transport.
- Gather the documents required of everyone (copy of the passport, letter for a minor where applicable) and check the requirements of the visa office of the country of submission.
- Choose the reason « To visit as a tourist » and gather the other possible documents (any forms, recommended documents).
- Pay the fees at the end of the online application by credit or debit card, in principle with the biometrics fees.
- Submit the application in the IRCC portal (current version or new version).
- Wait for the biometric instruction letter (BIL), make an appointment without delay and give fingerprints and photo in person, with the BIL and the passport.
- Respond to any IRCC requests: interview, additional information, medical examination or police certificate.
- If an online application is approved, follow the letter received in the IRCC account to submit the passport, in which the visa is affixed.
- On arrival, submit to the identity check and convince the border officer, who sets the duration of stay (normally up to 6 months).
Where to apply
- IRCC portal ("IRCC Portal", option 1 of 2) for the online application.
- New version of the IRCC portal (option 2 of 2): 18 years or older, application alone, first application with IRCC, without a representative.
- Paper application, only if applying online is impossible (including disability) or with a document issued to a refugee, a stateless person or a non-citizen.
- Official biometric collection site by appointment: visa application reception centre, Service Canada (in Canada) or Application Support Center (in the United States).
Good to know
Travel history: copies of old passports or visas, entry and exit stampsConditions and details
Recommended document: a clear copy of one or more of the old passports or visas used in the last 10 years to travel outside the country, entry and exit stamps, study or work permits showing the time spent outside the country, expired or valid visas.Itinerary: flight details, proof of accommodation or event registrationConditions and details
Recommended document showing the planned duration of the stay and the activities in Canada: copies of one of the following, flight details, proof of accommodation, event registration.Bank statements covering at least 6 monthsConditions and details
Recommended document to show sufficient means during the stay: the name and contact details of the bank, the name and address of the account holder proving that the account is theirs, and at least 6 months of transactions with the balances (see also the "Basic conditions" recommendation).Basic conditionsConditions and details
The applicant must have a valid travel document, be in good health, have no criminal or immigration-related conviction, convince the officer of their ties (employment, housing, property, family) and of their departure at the end of the visit, and have sufficient funds; the amount depends on the duration and the type of accommodation.- InadmissibilityCertain people are inadmissible (criminal activities, human rights violations, organized crime, or security, health or financial grounds).
Visa validityConditions and details
The visa officer decides on a single- or multiple-entry visa and on its validity: 10 years at most, or until the expiry of the passport or biometric data if that occurs earlier. The validity of the visa is not the duration of stay.Duration of stay set at the borderConditions and details
The border services officer may grant less or more than 6 months; they then write the departure date in the passport or hand over a visitor record. Without a stamp, the stay runs 6 months from entry, or until the expiry of the passport or biometric data if that occurs earlier.- ExtensionTo stay beyond the authorized duration, the extension application must be made at least 30 days before the end of the authorized stay.
The visa does not guarantee entryConditions and details
A valid visa and travel document do not guarantee entry: the officer must be satisfied of admissibility and of departure at the end of the stay. False or incomplete information leads to a refusal of entry.Processing times and incomplete applicationConditions and details
Processing time depends on the visa office and on any additional steps. An incomplete application may be refused. If an application submitted online is refused, the reasoned decision arrives in the IRCC account.- Validity of biometric dataA temporary resident applicant provides their biometric data only once every 10 years; no visa may be issued more than 10 years after the collection of the data.
- Authorized representativeA consultant, lawyer or notary in Quebec consulted for the application must be authorized to represent or advise; the page offers to verify this.
Accompanied minorsConditions and details
A child under 18 years of age is a minor in Canada. Depending on whether they travel alone, with only one parent or with another adult, they notably need their passport, a copy of the birth certificate and a signed authorization letter, preferably in English or French.Legal basis of the durationConditions and details
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations set the authorized period of stay of a temporary resident at six months or at any other period fixed by an officer, starting from the day of entry.
Nationalities covered
This procedure applies to 126 nationalities.
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belarus
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Colombia
- Comoros
- Congo
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Cuba
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Eswatini
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Libya
- Macao
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- North Korea
- North Macedonia
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Palestine
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Russia
- Rwanda
- São Tomé and Príncipe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Serbia
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Africa
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Official links
- How to apply for a visitor visa - Canada.ca (new tab) www.canada.ca
- Biometrics - Canada.ca (new tab) www.canada.ca
- After you apply for a visitor visa - Canada.ca (new tab) www.canada.ca
- Eligibility to apply for a visitor visa - Canada.ca (new tab) www.canada.ca
- Visitor visa: About the document - Canada.ca (new tab) www.canada.ca
- Visitor Visa: Prepare for your arrival - Canada.ca (new tab) www.canada.ca
- Biometrics: When to give your fingerprints and photo - Canada.ca (new tab) www.canada.ca
- Visitor visa (temporary resident visa) - Canada.ca (new tab) www.canada.ca
- Minor children travelling to Canada - Canada.ca (new tab) www.canada.ca
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (new tab) laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
- IRCC (Canada.ca) — What you need to enter Canada: entry requirements by country or territoryIRCC (Canada.ca) — What you need to enter Canada : exigences d’entrée par pays ou territoire (new tab) www.canada.ca
- Biometrics: How to give your fingerprints and photo - Canada.ca (new tab) www.canada.ca
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