Canada Announces New Visa Free Rules for 13 Countries

Canada has excluded Nigeria as two African nations have been added to the country’s visa-free travel list. 

Canada has announced visa free travel for eligible travellers from 13 additional countries, including north Africa’s Morocco and east Africa’s Seychelles.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Sean Fraser, the Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

This applies only to travellers from the 13 countries who have either held a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa for up to six months.

The 13 additional countries are Seychelles, Philippines, Morocco, Panama, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, Costa Rica, Uruguay and Thailand.

“An expansion of the electronic travel authorization better known as the eTA programs makes it easier for “known travellers” from those countries to come here for fun and business. 

He said the expansion not only enhances convenience for travellers, it will also increase travel, tourism and economic benefits, as well as strengthen global bonds with these 13 countries.

“The known travellers from these countries can save a lot of money as a result of the visa exemptions.”

A visitor visa currently costs $100 per person and $500 for a family of five or more, but an eTA only costs seven dollars per person and is valid for as long as five years.

According to the government, introducing visa-free air travel will make it faster, easier, and more affordable for thousands of travellers to visit Canada for up to six months for either business or leisure.

Seychellois citizens that are not eligible will still need visas to travel to Canada and must have a Seychelles passport that is valid for six months beyond the period of the intended stay in Canada. Also needed is proof of onward travel (departure) from the northern American country.

Meanwhile, no visa is required to enter Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean but before departure, all visitors must apply for a travel authorisation through the Seychelles Electronic Border System platform.

June 08, 2023