Do British passport holders need a visa for Canada?
By Pranav Muley · Software Engineer, Tripmojo · Updated
No visa, but flying requires an eTA. British citizens are exempt from Canada’s visitor visa requirement under its immigration regulations. If you travel by air you need an electronic travel authorisation first, costing 7 Canadian dollars and valid for five years. Arriving by land or sea needs neither.
Quick facts
Travel authorisation- Visa required
- No, British citizens are exempt
- eTA required
- Only when arriving by air
- Cost
- CAD 7
- eTA validity
- 5 years, or until your passport expires
- Length of stay
- 6 months by default, or another period set by the officer
- Passport type
- British citizen passport, see the note on other British nationals
Entry requirements
- A British citizen passport valid for the whole of your stay.
- An approved eTA if arriving by air, checked by the airline before boarding.
- Nothing beyond the passport when arriving by land from the United States, or by sea.
- Evidence you will leave at the end of the visit, and funds to support yourself, if the officer asks.
- A return or onward ticket.
How to get an eTA
Apply on the Government of Canada website with your passport, a credit card and an email address. The fee is 7 Canadian dollars, set in the regulations, and the sites charging thirty or forty pounds for the same form are intermediaries.
Approval is usually a matter of minutes but can be held for review, so do not leave it to the airport.
The authorisation lasts five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, and covers unlimited trips in that period. Renew your passport and you need a new eTA.
Good to know
- The exemption is written for British citizens specifically. The same provision treats British overseas citizens as exempt only if they are re-admissible to the United Kingdom, and British overseas territories citizens only where the citizenship comes from one of the listed territories. If your passport says anything other than British citizen, check the wording before booking rather than assuming a UK passport is a UK passport.
- The eTA depends on how you arrive. Fly and you need one; drive up from the United States or arrive by sea and you do not. People combining a US trip with a few days in Canada often cross by land and are surprised to find they needed nothing.
- An eTA authorises boarding, not entry. The border services officer decides admission and how long you may stay, with six months the usual ceiling rather than an entitlement.
Frequently asked questions
Do UK citizens need a visa for Canada?
No. British citizens are exempt from Canada’s visitor visa requirement. Flying to Canada requires an eTA instead, which is not a visa.
How much is a Canadian eTA for British citizens?
Seven Canadian dollars, the fee set in Canada’s immigration regulations, valid five years or until your passport expires.
Do I need an eTA to drive into Canada from the United States?
No. The requirement applies to arrivals by air. Crossing by land needs only your passport, though the border officer still decides admission.
Does every British passport holder qualify for the exemption?
Not automatically. It is written for British citizens. British overseas citizens must be re-admissible to the UK, and British overseas territories citizens qualify only through the listed territories.
How long can British citizens stay in Canada?
Usually up to six months, decided by the border officer on arrival. Longer stays or any work require a permit arranged in advance.
Related pages
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against the official sources below on .
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (SOR/2002-227), s.190(1)(b)(i) — British citizens exempt from the temporary resident visa requirement (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca)
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s.7.1 — eTA required for entry by air
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s.294.1 — CAD 7 eTA fee; s.12.05 — five-year validity
- Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, s.183(2) — the authorized period of stay is six months, or another period fixed by an officer
Entry rules change without notice and the official source is always the authority. Confirm with the embassy or immigration portal before you book.
