Travel Visas for Canadian Citizens

International travel is known to be an exciting experience for many Canadian citizens each year. Whether it be to Asia, Europe, or South America, entry requirements vary by the destination. Much of Europe and South America allow visa-free travel. However, this is not currently the case for the Middle East, much of Africa and Asia.

Many countries in the world allow visa-free travel for Canadian citizens traveling for tourism or business as long as it's within a certain length of time. The length of time allowed on just a passport varies according to the country that is being visited. An exception to the individual countries limiting on how long a person can be within the country is the Schengen region. Schengen is an agreement between the European countries that allows free movement between them. Canadian citizens have visa-free travel throughout the entire region for 90 days within a six month period.

There are many occasions where a Canadian traveling abroad require a visa for their trip. This could occur for those who wish to travel for an extensive length of time, for university studies, for employment, or even for a second place of residence. This sort of visa often has requirements that need to be met prior to applying, such as successful admission to a university, employment abroad, a place of residence, or a certain amount of income. There are also cases where a visa is required prior to entering a country at all. Keep in mind, this requirement has no exception for those who have to travel through a country on a train, or those who have a layover, even though those travelers have no intent on staying in the country for more than the layover or train requires.

A Canadian citizen should be aware that there are occasionally some registration that is required in countries, but travel is possible without any additional documentation prior to arrival. Registration takes place either upon arrival or through an online registration method, both often require a fee for the service. This fee is relatively cheap, but depends on the individual country's policy.

Several countries offer visas that allow for multiple visits within that country. This is useful during times in countries that require more than just a passport, and a round-trip ticket was purchased where the layover occurs in the same country on each leg of the trip. Such situations often require additional effort to gain the necessary documentation. It may be worth trying to avoid needing to enter such a country more than once due to the inconvenience.

Traveling abroad, regardless of the destination, is a unique and exciting experience. However, it requires careful planning to ensure that the documentation required is met prior to entering the country. Visa-free travel is not necessarily a right, but a privilege. It's important to be kept up to date on requirements for any country prior to visiting to insure that they are met. Political and diplomatic disputes between nations can change requirements fairly quickly.