Q COSTA RICA – Costa Ricans no longer need a visa, under some conditions, to enter Canada as announced by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada, Sean Fraser, announced on Tuesday.
The change incorporates Costa Rica into the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) program.
Canada’s visa-free travel program for known travelers who are coming here by air was just expanded to 13 new countries! 🇦🇬🇦🇷🇨🇷🇲🇦🇵🇦🇵🇭🇰🇳🇱🇨🇻🇨🇸🇨🇹🇭🇹🇹🇺🇾
We’re making it easier for more people to do business, sightsee or reunite with family & friends in Canada. https://t.co/SLTObTFWEy pic.twitter.com/JpjxpI389c
— Sean Fraser (@SeanFraserMP) June 6, 2023
Don’t get too carried away – I don’t want to ruin the excitement, but it’s important to note that this announcement has not given the full privilege of visa exemption to Costa Rica and the other 12 new countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
Passport holders from these countries are eligible to apply for an eTA if they meet 3 requirements:
- Held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years or currently hold a valid United States nonimmigrant visa
- Coming to Canada for a short visit, business or tourist activity (normally for stays of up to 6 months)
- Flying to or transiting through a Canadian airport using a valid passport from one of the eligible visa-required countries
Costa Ricans who do not meet all of the requirements will need a visitor visa to travel to Canada.
Costa Ricans who already have a valid Canadian visa don’t need an eTA to fly to Canada and should continue to travel with their visitor visa until it expires.
Dual citizens (Canadian and Costa Rican), can’t apply for an eTA and need a valid Canadian passport to travel to Canada by air.
Applications are approved automatically, in a matter of minutes. Click here on how to apply.
If you have an eTA, when you fly to Canada, you must travel with the same passport you used to apply for an eTA. If you get a new passport after applying for an eTA, you must apply for a new eTA with your new passport. You should travel with your old passport if it contains either your expired Canadian visitor visa or your valid U.S. nonimmigrant visa.
