At the moment, Canadian citizens are able to travel to the Schengen Area visa-free for stays under 90 days. The Schengen passport-free zone is made up of 22 European Union countries like Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, as well as 4 non-European Union countries; Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

However, this will soon change when the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) is introduced by the end of 2022. ETIAS is an electronic visa waiver approved by the European Parliament in 2016: it will take around 4 years to fully implement the system.

The ETIAS visa waiver for Canadian citizens is being implemented in order to pre-screen visa-exempt travellers to the Schengen Area before they even board a plane bound for Europe, in order to pre-identify any potential security threats and make Europe safer for both residents and travellers alike. The ETIAS system has received support from all the EU member countries.

The information provided by applicants when applying for the ETIAS from Canada will be checked against several information security databases, including EURODAC, the Schengen Information System (SIS), and the Visa Information System (VIS), which are all managed by EU-LISA, the EU agency is also responsible for implementation of ETIAS.

Do Canadians Need ETIAS to Enter in Europe?

Yes. Canada is one of the ETIAS countries whose citizens will require an electronic travel authorisation to travel to the Schengen Area for short stays by the end of 2022. Canadians who plan on travelling to the European Union for business, leisure, transit, or medical treatment will need to apply for an ETIAS visa waiver starting in late 2022.

ETIAS Required ETIAS permits Canadians to travel to all 26 Schengen member states from 2022: Austria

Belgium

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Germany

France

Spain

Portugal

Sweden

Finland

Denmark

Lithuania

Latvia

Estonia

Poland

Slovakia

Hungary

Slovenia

Italy

Greece

Czech Republic

Malta EU Schengen

Non-EU Schengen States

Non-Schengen EU States ETIAS Required Non-EU Member States: Iceland

Liechtenstein

Norway

Switzerland Micro-States de facto part of Schengen Area: Monaco

San Marino

Vatican City ETIAS Non-Required Non-Schengen EU States United Kingdom

Republic of Ireland

Romania

Bulgaria

Croatia

Cyprus

The ETIAS from Canada is a multiple-entry travel authorisation that permits the holder to travel to all of the 26 Schengen Area countries for short stays. It allows a total stay in Schengen countries of 90 days within every 180-day period, and is valid for a total of 3 years from the date of approval, meaning there is no need to apply for an ETIAS before every trip to the Schengen Area.

Eligible applicants are able to complete the simple online application in around 20 minutes, by providing personal and passport information, and answering a few security-related questions, to receive an ETIAS for Canada electronically linked to their passport.

Do European Citizens Need a Visa for Canada?

Because of reciprocal agreements between Canada and the European Union and Schengen Area countries, European citizens do not need a visa to travel to Canada for short stays under 180 days. However, all visa-exempt citizens who plan to visit Canada for less than 6 months, and who are arriving by air, are required to pre-register for an eTA, a Canadian version of the United States ESTA or the ETIAS visa waiver. Like ETIAS for Europe, the eTA was implemented in order to prescreen visa-exempt travellers to Canada and strengthen the country’s borders.

ETIAS and eTA also share a simple online application process in common. It is necessary to complete an online form with a range of personal and passport information, and answer a few health and security-related questions, in order to receive an approved eTA for Canada.

An approved eTA for Canada is also a multiple-entry travel authorisation which allows multiple short stays of up to 180 days with each entry, and is valid for a total of 5 years from the date of approval. European citizens who wish to spend longer consecutive periods in Canada, or travel to the country for purposes other than those permitted with an eTA, are required to apply for a visa from their nearest Canadian embassy or consulate.

ETIAS Visa Waiver Requirements for Canadian Citizens to Europe

There are several visa waiver requirements for Canadian citizens planning to travel to Europe with ETIAS. In order to submit an ETIAS application, Canadian nationals will need:

A Canadian passport valid for at least 3 months from the intended date of arrival in the Schengen Zone

from the intended date of arrival in the Schengen Zone A valid credit card or debit card to pay the ETIAS fee from Canada

A current email address to which the approved ETIAS will be sent

Unless they provide these documents, any potential travellers to the European Union from Canada will not be able to apply for an ETIAS visa waiver. When completing the data on the ETIAS application, applicants should take care to use the same passport they will later use to travel to the Schengen Area, as the European visa waiver is electronically linked to an individual passport. Canadian citizens with dual nationality should keep this in mind.

As the visa waiver for Europe is electronically linked to a specific passport, it will not be mandatory to print a copy of the approved ETIAS: travellers will simply be able to present the passport to transport carriers and at Schengen border control to gain entry to Europe. However, Canadian travellers are nonetheless advised to carry a printed copy of the approved Europe visa waiver just in case there are any problems with the electronic system.

Travelling to Europe from Canada

After receiving an approved ETIAS in their inbox, Canadian travellers will be able to visit the Schengen Area for multiple short stays during its validity, or until the associated passport expires, whichever comes first. Once the traveller's passport expires, it is necessary to submit a new ETIAS for Canada application to continue to travel to Europe. This is because the approved ETIAS is electronically linked to the individual travel document used to complete the initial application.

It is also important to note that an ETIAS can be refused if the information provided on the application does not match the details of the traveller's passport. It is therefore important to make sure all the data on the form does not contain any mistakes before submitting the application.

ETIAS for Canadian nationals can also be revoked if it is deemed that the conditions for issuing the travel authorisation are not met. This is especially the case in situations where the authorities believe that the visa waiver was obtained by providing misleading or fraudulent information.

Canadian citizens traveling to Europe with children should also be aware that it is necessary for all minors under the age of 18 to have an individual approved ETIAS, although parents or legal guardians are able to submit an ETIAS application on behalf of their child.

Travelers from Canada who wish to stay in the Schengen Area for longer than 90 consecutive days, or to travel for purposes other than those permitted with ETIAS, such as to work or study, are required to apply for a Schengen visa from an embassy or consulate.

Applicants are required to apply in person from an embassy or consulate of the country they wish to visit, as, unlike the ETIAS for Canadians, a Schengen Europe visa is issued for one specific Schengen country. It may be issued as a single-entry, double-entry, or multiple-entry visa, as the length of a Schengen visa for Canadian citizens is determined on an individual basis.

In order to apply, it is necessary to attend an appointment at an embassy with a variety of supporting documentation, including a completed Schengen visa application for Canadians, a valid Canadian passport, and proof of sufficient financial means to cover the stay in Europe. Canadian citizens are required to submit a Schengen visa application at least 15 days before the intended entry date to Europe to allow for sufficient processing time.

Bilateral agreements between Canada and EU Member States

Canadian citizens can stay in certain European countries beyond the 90-day Schengen limit thanks to bilateral visa-waiver agreements.

The Schengen Area nations that currently have bilateral agreements with Canada are listed below, along with the maximum permitted length of stay in each case:

Belgium (2 months)

Denmark (3 months)

Germany (3 months)

Greece (90 days)*

Spain (90 days)*

France (90 days)*

Italy (3 months)

Hungary (90 days)*

The Netherlands (90 days)

Austria (3 months)

Portugal (60 days)*

Sweden (3 months)*

Schengen-associated countries:

Iceland (3 months)

Norway (90 days)

*Ordinary passport holders only

Canadian citizens who take advantage of one of these bilateral agreements must remain in the EU Member State they apply to for the entire extension period. It is not permitted to move freely around the Schengen Area under a bilateral agreement.

For this reason, at the end of their stay, Canadians must depart from the specific European nation by either travelling directly to a third country or transiting through non-Schengen territory.

Bilateral agreements between Canada and EU Member States are subject to change.

How Can I Apply for ETIAS in Canada?

To obtain an ETIAS online visa waiver, Canadian citizens need to apply online. The registration process for ETIAS is designed to be simple and quick in order to expedite the approval process. Like the ESTA program already in place in the United States, applicants will need to answer some security questions as well as provide personal information and details about their travel plans.

The personal and passport information to be included on the ETIAS form for Canadian nationals includes full name, gender, current address, contact telephone number, place of birth, country of birth, nationality, passport number, and passport expiry/issue date. It is also necessary to provide the Schengen country of first intended entry on the application form. Applicants will also be asked to offer details of their education and current employment situation.