To visit Canada for up to 6 consecutive months by air, Spanish citizens must obtain an approved travel authorization in advance. The introduction of the online eTA for Canada for Spanish Citizens (electronic travel authorization) in 2016 has greatly simplified this process, as it made it possible to apply exclusively online.
An approved Canada eTA from Spain is valid for a total of 5 years from the date of issue, meaning there is no need to submit an electronic application before every trip to Canada. It is a multiple entry online visa waiver and allows multiple entries to Canada during its validity.
DO SPANISH CITIZENS NEED A VISA FOR CANADA?
Whether traveling for business or pleasure, all Spanish citizens are required to have an approved visa waiver to visit Canada for all periods up to 6 months if arriving by air.
This process has been greatly simplified with the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA,) which can be applied for online from the comfort of the applicant’s own home.
Application is as simple as completing an online form and making an electronic payment, and the traveler receives an approved eTA for Canada electronically linked to their passport.
Although an eTA can take up to 2 days to process, Spanish citizens who need an eTA for urgent travel to Canada are able to select an expedited processing option when submitting their application. By selecting ‘Urgent Guaranteed Processing in less than 1 hour’ when paying the eTA fee, the applicant guarantees they will have their eTA processed in under 60 minutes.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE CANADA ETA VISA FROM SPAIN
Before applying for the CANADA VISA FOR DANISH CITIZENS, applicants must consider the following:
- The intended purpose of the visit to Canada must be tourism, transit, business, or medical. The eTA is not valid for other purposes such as to work, study, or retire.
- Biometric Spanish Passport. Only biometric passports may be used in the application of a Canadian eTA. The approved authorization is linked to the traveler’s passport and is designed to be read by electronic immigration machines at the border. The passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the day of entry into Canada.
- Air travel only. The eTA visa waiver is valid only for travel by air to Canada. Therefore if the intended port of entry is via one of the land borders with the USA, or one of the country seaports, the eTA will not be valid, and a Canadian visitor visa will be required.
- Minimum age requirement. All applicants must be at least 18 years of age in order to apply. Parents of children under the age of 18 may apply on their behalf (check eTA requirements for minors)
- Maximum stay of 180 days. The maximum duration that a Spanish citizen may stay in the country on one particular visit is 180 days. For stays of longer than 180 days, a different category of visa for Canada will need to be applied for.
If the applicant’s passport expires during the validity of the Canadian eTA Canada, it is necessary to submit a new application online to be able to travel to Canada from Spain.
Additionally, Spanish applicants who have dual nationality and need an eTA must ensure that they use the same passport to travel to Canada as that which they used to complete the electronic form.
In both cases, this is because an approved eTA from Spain is electronically linked to one individual passport.
APPLY FOR A CANADIAN ETA VISA WAIVER FROM SPAIN
Applying for a Canada visa waiver for a Spanish passport holder is a simple process that can be completed from home. All that is needed is a device with an internet connection, personal and passport details, and a form of online payment.
An online eTA application form should take no longer than 30 minutes to complete, and requires details such as the traveler’s name, date of birth, address, and contact details, as well as the reason for travel.
Once the eTA form is complete, online payment via debit or credit card is required to submit the application.
Once approved, the eTA for Spanish citizens will be linked to the biometric passport for 5 years of air travel to Canada, or until the passport expires, whichever date is sooner.
The following is needed in order to apply:
- A valid biometric passport. Each applicant must be in possession of a biometric Spanish passport with a minimum of 6 months validity.
- A valid form of online payment. A credit or debit card will be required in order to make a payment for the eTA fee.
- An email address to which eTA visa waiver approval notice will be sent.
All Spanish citizens planning to visit Canda must ensure they either have an approved eTA to enter Canada, or a visa from an embassy (if they plan on staying the country for more than 6 months).