Who can apply

Eligibility

You need a transit visa if you’re from a visa-required country and:

• your international flight stops at a Canadian airport on its way to another country
• you’ll be connecting between 2 international flights at one or more Canadian airports
• your transit through Canada will last 48 hours or less
• you don’t have a valid visitor visa
• you’re not eligible for an eTA.

Travelling to or from the United States

You may be able to transit without a visa if you hold a passport from one of the countries below and you meet certain conditions:

• China
• Indonesia
• Philippines
• Thailand
• Taiwan (holder of passport without an personal identification number)

Find out if you can transit without a visa.

Who can’t apply for a transit visa

You can’t apply for a transit visa if you’re from a visa-required country and

• your transit through Canada will be longer than 48 hours;
• you plan to visit Canada (even if you’re travelling by air and it’s for less than 48 hours);

You also can’t apply for a transit visa if you’re from a visa-required country and you’re crossing the border by:

• bus
• car
• train
• boat
• cruise ship

You need to apply for a visitor visa.

Carry valid travel documents

When travelling to Canada, you must have a valid passport for yourself and any children travelling with you. Passports are the only reliable and universally accepted identification document for travelling.

If you don’t have the proper documents with you, you may be:

• delayed
• unable to transit through Canada

Some people aren’t allowed to enter Canada

Some people are not admissible to Canada, which means they’re not allowed to enter the country. You can be inadmissible for several reasons, including being involved in:

• criminal activity
• human rights violations
• organized crime

You can also be inadmissible for other security, health or financial reasons.

Find out more about inadmissibility.