The short answer: most Mexican citizens need a visitor visa for Canada, but you can fly in on an eTA instead if you hold a valid US non-immigrant visa or have held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years. The trip must be temporary (usually up to six months), made on a Mexican passport and taken by air; the eTA fee is small. Travellers who meet these conditions can turn to get-eta.com, a private company that charges a fee for its help and is separate from the Government of Canada, and apply for a Canada eTA there.
Filing the form directly with the Canadian government costs only the fee.
All of these requirements apply together. A US visa on its own does not help a family driving north, and a flight on its own does not help someone with no visa at all. The general logic for every country in this situation is laid out in how the US visa route works for all 17 countries; this page keeps to what is specific to a Mexican passport.
Do Mexicans need a visa for Canada?
Yes, as a starting point. Mexico is on Canada’s list of visa-required countries, with a narrow exception that lets some citizens get an eTA instead. Which one depends on how you travel and what you already hold:
| Your situation | Document you need |
|---|---|
| Flying, with a current US non-immigrant visa, or a Canadian visa held at any point in the past 10 years | An eTA (a visitor visa is also possible, your choice) |
| Flying, with neither of those | A visitor visa |
| Arriving by road, rail or sea, cruise ships included | A visitor visa |
| A Canadian visitor visa is already in your passport and unexpired | Fly on that visa until it ends; no eTA needed |
| You qualify for an eTA but a relative does not | An eTA or visa for you, a visitor visa for them |
If you are weighing the options, a quick visa-or-eTA comparison sets them side by side. Arriving by land or sea settles the question on its own, though: a US visa does not help there, and you need a Canadian visitor visa. If you qualify for an eTA but a relative does not, that relative needs a visitor visa, and a child travelling with one parent or none may be asked for a signed letter from one or both parents.
The three conditions, checked one by one
The eTA route opens only when every item below is true. The word “or” appears only inside the third item.
- Passport and transport. You fly into Canada, or change planes at a Canadian airport, on a valid Mexican passport.
- Temporary trip. The stay is limited and normally lasts under six months.
- A qualifying visa. Either a US non-immigrant visa is valid today, or you have held a Canadian visitor visa (TRV) at some point in the past 10 years.
The US visa must be valid on the day you submit the eTA application, not necessarily on the day you travel. A Canadian visa counts even after it expires, as long as you held it at some point in the past 10 years. A past eTA does not count, because an eTA is not a visa; that surprises many people who held one before 2024. If the old visa sits in an expired passport, bring that passport along with the current one.
What changed on February 29, 2024
The conditions above came into force at 11:30 p.m. Eastern time on 29 February 2024. At the same moment every eTA issued earlier on a Mexican passport was cancelled, except for people holding a valid work or study permit.
- An eTA you got years ago is no longer usable, even if its printed expiry date lies ahead.
- If you are in Canada now on an old eTA, you may stay for the period you were allowed. To come back after leaving, you need a visa or a new eTA issued after that date.
The announcement and the full wording are on IRCC’s page on the 2024 changes for Mexican citizens.
Entering your US visa number in the eTA form
The form asks for the number of your US document, and this is where Mexican applicants slip most often. Which number to type depends on what you hold:
- A border crossing card. The number is on the back, in the three lines at the bottom. Take the first of those lines and the second group of characters, on the right. It starts with three letters and ends with nine digits, with no spaces or hyphens.
- A visa sticker in the passport. Use the eight-digit number printed in bold red at the lower right corner of the sticker.
- Your passport number. Copy it from the page with your photo. It is normally six to nine characters. The letter O and zero, or the letter I and the digit 1, are easy to swap, and special symbols never belong there.
The form exists only in English and French, but there is a Spanish page explaining how to apply and a Spanish PDF describing each field. A question-by-question walk-through is in the full guide to the eTA application form. A mistake in these numbers may only show up at the airport, when the airline cannot match your authorization, and there may be no time left to apply again. Check each character twice before paying.
Driving in from the US or arriving on a cruise
An eTA belongs to air travel only. If you cross the border by road or rail, or arrive by boat, a visitor visa is required, and the US visa in your wallet makes no difference. That includes a cruise: a ship calling at a Canadian port brings the same demand, even when you never leave the vessel. For trips that mix transport types between Canada and the US, the visa is the more flexible choice.
People already inside Canada may make a direct trip to the United States or Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and return directly, by any transport, within their permitted stay. If you stop in a third country on the way, including by sailing into international waters, the return needs an eTA by air or a visa by land or sea.
Getting a visitor visa as a Mexican citizen
Without a qualifying US or Canadian visa, this is your route. The visitor visa costs 100 CAD per person (500 CAD for a family of five or more), and biometrics add 85 CAD (170 CAD for a family). In most cases fingerprints and a photo are required.
Most visas are multiple-entry and valid for up to a decade, though never beyond the life of the passport. Processing times change; check them before you book. For an urgent trip, explain the reason in the application; a faster decision is not guaranteed, and the government does not reimburse travel costs if the visa arrives too late.
Fee, approval time and how long you can stay
The eTA carries a government fee per person and is not refunded. Each application covers one traveller.
Most decisions arrive within minutes, and a few take several days. When a case needs more time, a message with further steps follows within 72 hours of applying; it is not the decision itself. Applying before you buy tickets is the safe order. Afterwards you can check your eTA status on get-eta.com with the passport plus your application number or UCI.
A visit is normally capped at six months, though the officer at the border sets the actual period, shorter or longer. Approval is good for up to five years and ends sooner if the passport expires; a replacement passport needs a new eTA. For Mexican travellers Canada suggests keeping the approval letter both printed and on your phone.
Layovers and transit through Canada
Passing through a Canadian terminal on the way to a third country follows the same logic: an eTA covers it when you meet the visa condition above. Without that, you need a transit visa (possible when the layover is 48 hours or less) or a visitor visa. More cases are covered in transit rules for Canada and the US.
Working, studying and the Working Holiday question
Neither an eTA nor a visitor visa lets you work or study. Once a work or study permit is approved, the right visa or eTA is issued automatically if you are eligible, and the permit has to be requested from abroad, not at the airport. International Experience Canada, the programme behind Working Holiday, is open only to citizens of countries with a youth mobility agreement with Canada. Mexico is not currently on Canada’s IEC country list.
Dual citizens and green card holders
- Someone who is both Canadian and Mexican must enter on the Canadian passport.
- With a US green card you need neither a visa nor an eTA; carry the card and your passport.
The short version
- Mexico is a visa-required country; the eTA is a narrow exception.
- The eTA needs all three: Mexican passport and flight, temporary trip, and a current US non-immigrant visa or a Canadian visa held in the past 10 years.
- A past eTA is not a Canadian visa, and eTAs issued before 29 February 2024 were cancelled.
- By road, rail or ship, cruises included, a visitor visa is required.
- The eTA’s government fee is far lower than a visitor visa (100 CAD plus 85 CAD for biometrics).
FAQ
Is Canada visa free for Mexico? No. Mexico is a visa-required country. Only travellers holding a current US non-immigrant visa or a Canadian visa held in the past 10 years can fly in on an eTA instead.
How long can Mexicans stay in Canada? Normally six months at a time; the border officer makes the final call.
Can Mexicans enter Canada by land with a US visa? No. Arrivals by land or sea, cruises included, need a visitor visa. The US visa only opens the eTA route for flights.
Do Mexicans need a transit visa for a layover in Canada? If you meet the visa condition, an eTA is enough. If not, a transit visa or a visitor visa is needed.
Is there a Canada Working Holiday visa for Mexicans? Mexico is not currently on Canada’s IEC country list. Working in Canada requires a separate work permit.