ETIAS Requirements for Canadians

Canadians can stay visa-free in Europe for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. This applies to all of the countries in the Schengen Area.

Visa exemption for Canadian citizens is granted for the following purposes:

• Tourism
• Business
• Transit
• Short-term study
• Medical treatment

This visa policy will not change once ETIAS is introduced in 2025. However, it will be mandatory to have an approved ETIAS visa waiver for Canadian citizens to travel to Europe from Canada.

An approved ETIAS from Canada allows the holder to visit Europe for the same period and travel purposes as listed above. However, it is a multiple-entry electronic travel authorization valid for 3 years from approval, or until the associated passport expires.

This means that the holder can visit Europe for multiple stays of up to 90 days with each entry. If you have a valid ETIAS for Canadians, you do not need to re-apply before every visit to Europe.

An approved ETIAS for Canadian citizens allows the holder to visit any and all of the countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement for passport-free travel.

This includes the 3 microstates of Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. These microstates maintain open or semi-open borders with other Schengen countries.

Citizens of these countries are able to travel within the Schengen borders using only a valid national ID card and are not subject to other border control measures.

However, Canadians need an approved ETIAS visa waiver to travel between Schengen member states.

Additionally, an ETIAS authorization will be required for Canadians who wish to travel to countries that are pending members of Schengen but have not fully met the aquis to be fully incorporated into the Area.

These are Bulgaria, the Republic of Cyprus, and Romania.

Below you can find a list of countries for which an ETIAS for Canadians is required, as well as an interactive map.

Travelers only have to meet a few basic requirements to apply for an ETIAS from Canada.

You must have:

• A valid passport
• A debit/credit card to pay the ETIAS fee
• A current email address

Before applying for an ETIAS for Canadian citizens, it is necessary to meet the following passport requirements:

• Valid for at least 3 months from the intended date of arrival in the Schengen Area
• Must be the same passport which will later be used to travel to Europe (dual citizens should be careful with this)
• Should be a passport with a biometric chip (as ETIAS is electronically linked to the passport)

Those traveling with minors under the age of 18 should be aware that each child must have their own individually approved ETIAS for Canadians. This is mandatory even if they are included on the passport of their parent or legal guardian.

Parents and guardians are able to complete the ETIAS for Candians application on behalf of their children. However, they must remember it is necessary to submit a separate form for each child.

You can complete an ETIAS application for Canadians exclusively online. There is no need to visit an embassy or consulate to complete an application or worry about having to compile a range of supporting documents in paper form.

It only takes a matter of minutes to fill out the information required, answer some basic questions, pay the ETIAS processing fee, and submit the form.

Travelers need to fill out some basic personal, travel, and passport information on the online form, including:

• Full Name
• Current address
• Contact telephone number
• Gender
• Place of Birth
• Country of Birth
• Nationality
• Passport number
• Passport issue and expiry date
• Schengen country of first intended entry

Next, the applicant must answer some security related-questions, related to:

• History of criminal convictions
• Previous travel to the Schengen Zone
• Previous travel to conflict zones

To finalize the request, applicants can then pay the ETIAS for Canadians fee using a debit or credit card authorized for online payments.

You can use your approved ETIAS to travel from Canada to Europe to any of the Schengen Area countries.

A large number of tourists who travel to Europe from Canada make France their first stop. Paris is a particularly popular destination among Canadian tourists for its iconic attractions, including the world-famous Louvre museum and the Eiffel Tower.

Germany is also a popular option for Canadians traveling to Europe for an outdoor holiday, due to the variety of hiking opportunities in the Bavarian Alps. Italy and Spain are also coveted destinations due to the agreeable Mediterranean climate and wealth of incredible beaches.

The number of non-resident arrivals to Schengen Countries from Canada has risen dramatically in the past few years. It’s estimated that 3, 497,060 Canadians visited the Schengen Area in 2015, a number that rose to just over 4 million by 2017.

The number of arrivals from Canada increased to roughly 4,620,391 by 2019. While COVID-19 caused a slowdown in 2020 and 2021, the numbers are estimated to rise again to pre-pandemic levels in the near future.

Canadians do not need a visa for Europe if they are only planning to stay for up to 90 days in the Schengen Area. They may visit for short stays for tourism, business, medical treatment, or short-term study visa-free. However, they do require an approved ETIAS visa waiver.

To visit Europe for longer consecutive stays, or for purposes such as to study long term or to work, Canadians need to apply for a Schengen visa. Unlike the ETIAS authorization, a Schengen visa for Canadian citizens is only issued for one specific European country.