Visa Requirements Lifted for Bulgarian and Romanian Nationals

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Executive Summary

Effective December 1, 2017, Bulgarian and Romanian nationals no longer require a visa to enter Canada as business visitors or tourists for short-term stays up to six months. As visa-exempt nationals, they instead require an Electronic Travel Authorization to travel to Canada by air.

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The situation

Effective December 1, 2017, Bulgarian and Romanian nationals no longer require a temporary resident visa to enter Canada. Like other visa-exempt nationals, eligible Bulgarians and Romanians now require an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada by air.

A closer look

• eTA eligibility. Bulgarian and Romanian nationals can apply for an eTA as of 9am EST  December 1, 2017.
• Entry via land/sea borders.  Bulgarian and Romanian nationals entering Canada by car, bus, train or boat do not need an eTA or a temporary resident visa.
• Bulgarians and Romanians holding valid Canadian visas. These nationals can continue to travel to or transit through a Canadian airport with their Canadian visa until it expires, after which they will need to apply for an eTA for air travel.  
• Bulgarians and Romanians holding valid eTAs. These nationals can continue to fly to Canada with their eTA until it expires, provided they have a valid passport as well.
• Impact on work permit applicants. Bulgarian and Romanian nationals who wish to apply for a work permit can travel to Canada with their valid eTA and apply for work authorization upon entry to Canada.

 

Travel recommendations

Although an eTA is usually approved online within minutes, complex requests can take days to process. Because of this, the Canadian government recommends all travelers obtain an eTA ahead of their scheduled travel date.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].