Know before you go: Canada

Canada sorts incoming travellers into a few main groups. Citizens of about 54 countries and territories are visa-exempt, meaning they can visit Canada for up to six months without applying for a visitor visa. However, being visa-exempt is not the same as needing no paperwork at all: since 10 November 2016, most visa-exempt travellers must hold an eTA when they arrive in Canada by air. The eTA is simple and cheap: it is applied for online in minutes, costs CA$7, is electronically linked to your passport, and is valid for up to five years (or until the passport expires).

Travellers from countries that normally require a full Temporary Resident Visa are not automatically out of luck either; a number of “conditionally eligible” nationalities (including Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Thailand, the Philippines and others) can sometimes qualify for the lighter eTA instead of a visa. The eligible countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay.

A few groups skip both documents entirely. United States citizens and lawful permanent residents, and French citizens who live in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and fly to Canada directly from the territory, are exempt from the eTA. Note that US green card holders are not automatically visa- and eTA-free in every case; some guidance indicates a green card holder flying in still needs an eTA alongside the card, so check your exact category.

The entry-method matters too: if you are visa-exempt and you enter Canada by car, bus, train or boat (including a cruise ship), you generally do not need an eTA, though you still need a valid passport and proper documents. The eTA requirement is specifically tied to arriving by air.

Because eligibility lists and conditional pathways change as Canada adjusts its agreements, do not rely on any blog, including this one: always confirm your personal requirement on the official IRCC entry-requirements tool before booking flights, and apply for your eTA or visa well ahead of departure.

Within cities, Canada has moved heavily toward contactless fare payment. In Toronto, the regional PRESTO system covers subway, streetcar, bus, GO Transit commuter rail and the UP Express airport train, and the easiest way to pay is to just tap your physical or digital credit card or Interac debit card directly at the fare reader, no local transit card required. If you prefer a dedicated card, a PRESTO card costs $4, which is non-refundable, and then you load whatever amount you want on top. Each tap on TTC vehicles includes an automatic two-hour transfer window covering subway, streetcar and bus.

Vancouver uses the Compass Card system instead, where you register your card and top it up online, at a machine with cash or credit card, or through the TransLink app, and on the SkyTrain and SeaBus you must tap both when boarding and when leaving, since if you only tap on without tapping off, the system charges the maximum fare. As in Toronto, contactless bank cards and mobile wallets are widely accepted as an alternative to buying a physical card.

For intercity travel, VIA Rail operates Canada’s main long-distance passenger network, including the busy Quebec City-Windsor corridor and scenic long-haul routes across the country; book ahead for popular routes and sleeper cabins. Intercity buses, regional ferries (notably in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada) and domestic flights fill in the gaps for a country this size: driving distances between major cities can be very long, so factor transit time generously into any road-trip plans.

The currency is the Canadian dollar (CAD). Contactless debit and credit cards are accepted almost everywhere, including taxis, small cafés and transit systems, so carrying large amounts of cash is rarely necessary, though it’s wise to keep a small amount on hand for rural areas or minor vendors that are card-only in one direction (card-only, not cash-only) or vice versa. ATMs are widely available in cities and towns; using your home bank’s partner network reduces withdrawal fees.

Sales taxes (GST, and HST or PST depending on the province) are added at checkout and are not included in posted prices. Tipping is customary at sit-down restaurants, bars and for taxi or rideshare drivers, typically in the 15-20% range, and many card terminals will prompt a tip percentage automatically. Budget travel in Canada varies enormously by region and season: a daily budget including accommodation can range from modest hostel-and-transit costs to a few hundred dollars a day in peak season in major cities or national parks, so price out accommodation and park fees ahead of a summer trip when demand is highest.

For any police, fire or medical emergency anywhere in the country, Canada operates a single nationwide emergency number, 911, covering police, fire, and ambulance services across the country, with rare exceptions in extremely remote locations. The number works from any phone, including foreign SIM cards, as long as there is mobile signal.

For non-emergency mental health or crisis support, the 988 suicide and crisis helpline is available nationally since 2023. Many cities also run a 311 non-emergency municipal line for things like noise complaints or minor issues that don’t need police dispatch.

Healthcare is a key planning point for visitors: hospital emergency departments are open to all, residents and visitors alike, but Canada’s publicly funded healthcare system extends only to citizens and permanent residents, and medical costs for foreign nationals can be substantial, so travel medical insurance is strongly recommended rather than optional. Overall, Canada is considered very safe for tourists by international standards, with petty theft and, in some cities, vehicle theft being more common concerns than violent crime; standard urban precautions (securing valuables, not leaving bags visible in parked cars) apply as they would in most major destinations.