Visiting Canada with a Schengen passport
Holding a Schengen-area passport doesn't automatically give you visa-free travel to Canada — Schengen and Canadian visa policy aren't connected. What it usually means is that you're from a country whose passport is on Canada's eTA-eligible list, and that's a different (lower) bar.
The short answer
Most Schengen-area citizens fly to Canada with an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) — not a visitor visa. eTA is online, costs CAD $7, processes in minutes (usually) or a few days, and lets you visit for up to six months at a time.
Who's eTA-eligible
These Schengen-area passport holders need only an eTA for short visits to Canada:
- Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (not Schengen but visa-exempt), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Who needs a visitor visa
These Schengen-area or EU passport holders still need a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV):
- Bulgaria — eligible for partial visa-free travel since March 2024 if you've held a Canadian visa or US non-immigrant visa in the past 10 years; otherwise visa-required.
- Romania — same as Bulgaria.
- Croatia — visa-required.
- Cyprus — visa-required.
These rules change. Always check the current list on canada.ca/visa-requirements before booking flights.
How an eTA actually works
- Apply at the official IRCC website. Cost: CAD $7. Avoid the third-party sites that charge $50–$80 for the same form.
- Approval is usually instant by email; sometimes there's a delay of a few days if your case needs review.
- The eTA is electronically linked to your passport. Don't lose the email confirmation, but you don't need to print it.
- Valid for five years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
- Each visit can be up to six months. The border officer decides on entry.
What an eTA does NOT let you do
- Work in Canada — you need a work permit.
- Study at a DLI for more than six months — you need a study permit.
- Live permanently — you'd apply through Express Entry, a PNP, or another PR pathway.
Common scenarios
Visiting family for two months — eTA is enough.
Working remotely for a non-Canadian employer while in Canada — technically allowed under visitor status. Don't announce it to the border officer; they'll ask follow-ups. Tax residency complications apply if you stay more than six months a year.
Attending a conference for a week — eTA. Bring your conference invitation.
Doing a 3-month internship — even unpaid, you usually need a work permit. There are exemptions for some research and academic exchanges; check before you travel.
The Brexit footnote
UK passport holders are not Schengen, but are also eTA-eligible. The rules are the same: eTA online, CAD $7, valid five years. UK applicants get their own page here.
If your visit is the start of something longer
A lot of people enter Canada as visitors and then realise they want to stay. The visit-then-extend route works for some pathways (study permit conversions, in-Canada work permits under specific streams) but not others. The visit-intent question at the border is real — show up looking like a tourist, not a future immigrant. Have a return ticket. Don't volunteer that you're considering moving.