Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to get a Canada transit visa or use TWOV
A Canada transit visa is the document Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires from nationals of visa-required countries who connect between international flights at a Canadian airport for 48 hours or less, while the Transit Without Visa programme (TWOV) lets certain other travellers, including US citizens and US lawful permanent residents, make that connection without a visa. [3]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Which document you need to transit Canada depends on how you travel, how long the transit takes, the nationality of your passport and other factors such as being a US permanent resident or a US visa holder. [3]
- A transit visa covers connections of 48 hours or less between two international flights at one or more Canadian airports, for nationals of visa-required countries who hold no valid visitor visa and are not eligible for an eTA. [3]
- US citizens and US lawful permanent residents can transit through Canada without a visa by air, car, bus, train, boat or cruise ship. [3]
- Holders of passports from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, or the Taiwan Region of China without a personal identification number may be able to transit without a visa if they meet certain conditions. [3]
Transit visa or TWOV: what is the difference?
IRCC sorts transit through Canada into three documents: a visitor visa, a transit visa, or an electronic travel authorization (eTA). [3] Which one applies depends on how you travel through Canada — by air, car, bus, train, boat or cruise ship — how long the transit takes, the nationality of your passport, and other factors such as whether you are a permanent resident of the United States or a US visa holder. [3]
A transit visa is the air route: IRCC's Visit Canada section files transit visas under visas for specific types of visits and describes them as travel through Canada by air. [4]
| Document | Who it is for | Route conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa | Nationals of visa-required countries who plan to visit Canada, or to stay in Canada more than 48 hours while transiting [3] | Also required for border crossings by bus, car, train, boat or cruise ship [3] |
| Transit visa | Nationals of visa-required countries connecting between two international flights at one or more Canadian airports [3] | Transit of 48 hours or less, no valid visitor visa, and not eligible for an eTA [3] |
| eTA | Citizens of eTA-required countries transiting Canada by air [3] | Not required for transit by train, bus, boat or cruise ship; the right travel documents are still required [3] |
| Transit Without Visa | US citizens and US lawful permanent residents; holders of certain passports who meet certain conditions [3] | US citizens and permanent residents may transit by air, car, bus, train, boat or cruise ship [3] |
Who needs a Canada transit visa?
For travellers from visa-required countries, IRCC lists five conditions for a transit visa: the international flight stops at a Canadian airport on its way to another country; you are connecting between two international flights at one or more Canadian airports; the transit through Canada lasts 48 hours or less; you do not have a valid visitor visa; and you are not eligible for an eTA. [3]
Nationality sets the starting point. IRCC says citizens of the countries and territories on its visa-required list need a valid visitor visa and a valid passport to visit or transit through Canada, and that list includes China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and the Taiwan Region of China. [5] A visitor visa is needed to enter Canada by any method of travel, including by air at a Canadian airport, or by car, train, bus or boat, including cruise ships. [5] Stateless individuals and holders of a refugee travel document also need a visa to visit or transit through Canada. [5]
Who can use the Transit Without Visa programme?
IRCC describes two groups. [3] Citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States can transit through Canada without a visa by air, car, bus, train, boat or cruise ship, and simply need to bring the right travel documents. [3] The entry-requirements page likewise lists US nationals and US permanent residents among travellers who need neither a visa nor an eTA. [5]
The second group is passport-based. IRCC says you may be able to transit without a visa if you hold a passport from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, or the Taiwan Region of China (holder of a passport without a personal identification number), and you meet certain conditions. [3] All five appear on IRCC's visa-required list, which is where the transit question arises. [5] The Taiwan Region of China also sits on IRCC's eTA list, for travellers holding an ordinary passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Taiwan Region of China that includes the personal identification number. [5] Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand appear on IRCC's separate list of visa-required countries whose citizens may be eligible to apply for an eTA instead of a visa if they meet certain requirements and are travelling by air. [5]
Does land or sea transit need an eTA?
In this context the eTA is an air document. IRCC says you need an eTA to transit through Canada by air if you are from an eTA-required country, and that you do not need one if you are transiting through Canada and enter by train, bus, boat or cruise ship — though you still need the right travel documents. [3] The entry-requirements page makes the same split for eTA-required citizens arriving by car, bus, train or boat, including a cruise ship, who do not need an eTA but still need a valid passport. [5]
The Transit Without Visa route for US citizens and permanent residents is not limited to air, because IRCC lists all six modes of travel for that group; where you clear immigration inside the airport matters for other routes, as explained in airside vs landside transit. [3] Travellers who may instead apply for an eTA hit the opposite limit: IRCC says a valid visitor visa is needed if you come to Canada by car, bus, train or boat, including a cruise ship, even if you do not leave the ship. [5]
Exceptions and limits
- Transit longer than 48 hours. A traveller from a visa-required country who will stay in Canada more than 48 hours while transiting needs a visitor visa rather than a transit visa. [3]
- A short visit is not a transit. IRCC requires a visitor visa if you are from a visa-required country and plan to visit Canada, even when you travel by air and the trip lasts less than 48 hours. [3]
- Dual Canadian citizens. Most dual Canadian citizens need a Canadian passport to travel to or transit through Canada. [5]
- Airport transit under TWOV or the China Transit Program. IRCC lists passengers transiting through a Canadian airport under the Transit Without Visa or China Transit programs among travellers who need neither a visa nor an eTA. [5]
- Refuelling and unscheduled stops. A passenger flying to or from the United States on a flight that stops in Canada only to refuel needs no visa or eTA if they have the proper documents to enter the US, or were lawfully admitted to the US; a passenger on a flight making an unscheduled stop in Canada needs neither either. [5]
- Some visa-required nationals may apply for an eTA instead. IRCC lists visa-required countries and territories, among them Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand, whose citizens may be eligible for an eTA instead of a visa if they meet certain requirements and travel by air. [5]
Frequently asked questions
Do you need an eTA to connect through Canada?
Yes, if you are a citizen of an eTA-required country and your transit is by air, you need an eTA; transit by train, bus, boat or cruise ship does not require one. [3] US citizens and US lawful permanent residents are among those who need neither a visa nor an eTA. [5]
How long can I transit through Canada on a transit visa?
The transit visa covers a transit through Canada of 48 hours or less. [3] Staying in Canada more than 48 hours while transiting moves the traveller to the visitor visa route. [3]
Can US citizens transit Canada without a visa?
Yes. US citizens and US lawful permanent residents can transit through Canada without a visa by air, car, bus, train, boat or cruise ship, provided they bring the right travel documents. [3]
Which passports can use Transit Without Visa in Canada?
IRCC names China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and the Taiwan Region of China for holders of a passport without a personal identification number, and adds that such travellers must meet certain conditions. [3]
Does holding a US visa change what I need to transit Canada?
IRCC lists being a permanent resident of the United States or a US visa holder among the factors, alongside nationality, mode of travel and transit length, that decide which document you need to transit Canada. [3]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Canadian visitor visas and transit through the United States are not covered here; for other countries' airport transit rules see the airport transit visa guide. The transit page carries a page date of 2 June 2025, the Visit Canada page 28 September 2026, and the entry-requirements page 31 July 2026. [3] [4] [5]
- IRCC: Transit through Canada, checked 18 October 2026
- IRCC: Visit Canada, checked 18 October 2026
- IRCC: What you need to enter Canada, checked 18 October 2026