Starting today, June 7, 2023, travelers from the Philippines and 12 other countries will now be able to enter Canada without a visa — if they meet certain conditions. Eligible travelers from the following countries can now benefit from the program:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Costa Rica
- Morocco
- Panama
- Philippines
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Seychelles
- Thailand
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Uruguay
Those who qualify should either 1) have held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years, or 2) currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa. Should you meet either of these conditions, you now need only apply for an eTA (electronic travel authorization program) instead of a visa when travelling to Canada by air. Tourists will be allowed to stay in Canada for up to six months for either business or leisure.
Rechie Valdez, Member of Parliament for Mississauga—Streetsville, spoke proudly of this initiative: "By eliminating visa requirements, we welcome tourists and enable families to reunite and visit their loved ones in Canada more easily. As a proud Filipino-Canadian, I am thrilled by the expanded eTA eligibility to include the Philippines. With this new announcement, we uplift the Filipino community, foster closer ties, embrace diversity and unlock new horizons of future growth and collaboration."
"The Philippines considers Canada as a close partner due to its well-established people-to-people ties and looks forward to charting a new era of engagement under this new policy,” the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines concluded in a statement.
Also read: Here's How You Can Apply For A U.S. Visa If You're Filipino
How to get electronic travel authorization for Canada if you're Filipino
According to the Embassy of Canada to the Philippines, the eTA is "a digital travel document that most visa-exempt travellers need to travel to or transit through Canada by air."
It will cost you $7 CAD (PHP 293) to apply for an eTA and most applications are automatically approved within minutes. However, some requests can take several days to process if you're asked to submit supporting documents.
To apply for an eTA, travellers need: A valid passport, a credit or debit card, an email address, and reliable wifi plus access to the internet. Take note that the fee is non-refundable, and these are the only acceptable methods of payment:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- American Express
- a pre-paid Visa, Mastercard or American Express,
- Visa Debit, or Debit Mastercard,
- UnionPay
- JCB Card
Here is how to apply for an eTA:
- Read the help document.
- Have your passport and credit/debit card onhand.
- Use the official online form to apply. The form cannot be saved, so have your information ready.
- Pay the $7 CAD fee for your eTA right after you complete the form.
- You will receive an email about your application (most are approved within minutes). The approval email includes your eTA number. Keep this number in case you need to contact us or want to check the status of your eTA in the future.
- You may need to submit documents before your application can be approved (for example, if you are traveling with a minor, which Canada defines as "someone under the age of 18"). If this happens to you, an email will be sent with instructions within 72 hours.
When your eTA has been approved, it will be linked to the passport you used to apply. You need to present this passport when you check-in to your flight to Canada. You don’t need to print out any special document. The eTA is valid for up to five years or until the expiration of the passport, whichever comes first. If you get a new passport, you will need to apply for a new eTA.
Take note: An eTA doesn’t guarantee entry to Canada. When you arrive, a border services officer will ask to see your passport and other documents. You must convince the officer that you’re eligible for entry to Canada. You can come to Canada as many times as you wish as long as your eTA remains valid.
Those who are not eligible for an eTA, or who are travelling to Canada by means other than air (for example, by car, bus, train and boat—including by cruise ship), will still need a visitor visa. Filipinos who already have a valid Canadian visa can use it to travel to Canada as usual, without the need for an eTA.
