Transit through Canada: checking the document by nationality and transport

Before booking a connection through Canada, identify the document for the traveller and the exact route. The answer can change with the passport used, immigration status, air versus land or sea travel, whether the stop is only transit, and how long it lasts. “Under 48 hours” by itself is not an exemption.

Build the route you will actually take

Write down the country code on each traveller’s passport, any Canadian or U.S. citizenship or permanent-resident status, every Canadian airport or border crossing, how you enter and leave Canada, the destination after the stop, and the planned time in Canada. If you may collect bags, change airports, stay overnight or visit someone, include that in the plan. For a family, check each person separately.

Then use the Government of Canada visa and eTA checker. Select the actual travel method, transit purpose and passport country code. Do not substitute country of residence for the passport nationality or treat a visa, an eTA, citizenship and permanent residence as interchangeable.

What the 48-hour rule does—and does not—mean

Canada’s official transit guidance says that a traveller from a visa-required country may need a transit visa for an international-air connection lasting 48 hours or less when they do not have a valid visitor visa and are not eligible for an eTA. A transit lasting more than 48 hours can require a visitor visa. A traveller from a visa-required country who plans to visit Canada needs a visitor visa even if the visit is shorter than 48 hours.

That is a conditional route, not a blanket rule for every passport. Some travellers need an eTA to transit by air; some can qualify for a specific visa-free transit program; and U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents have separate rules. Follow the checker’s result and the matching official instructions rather than applying another traveller’s outcome.

Air and ground routes are different checks

Do not carry an air-transit answer over to a road, rail, bus or boat crossing. Canada’s eTA eligibility guidance explains that requirements depend on the way you travel; people arriving by land or sea may not need an eTA, but that does not remove a visitor-visa requirement where one applies. If your itinerary enters Canada by one method and leaves by another, check both parts and the whole purpose of the stay.

For example, someone connecting between two international flights for less than 48 hours should select air transit in the official checker. Someone leaving the airport to visit family is describing a visit, not transit alone. Someone who lands in Canada and continues to the United States by road should enter that actual mixed route into the assessment instead of assuming the first flight determines the document.

Check any nationality-specific rule and the document’s details

Some passports have additional conditions. For Mexican citizens, Canada’s current guidance says eTA eligibility for flying to or through Canada requires a valid Mexican passport, a temporary stay, and either a current U.S. non-immigrant visa or a Canadian visitor visa held within the past 10 years. A past eTA is not the same as a past Canadian visitor visa. If those conditions are not met, check the visitor-visa route. Use the current Canadian rules for Mexican citizens; do not rely on an older approval or a family member’s result.

After applying, distinguish an application receipt from an approval. Check that the authorization is linked to the passport you will use; Canada’s Mexican-traveller guidance says a new passport requires a new eTA. Reassess if the passport, Canadian stop, transport method, purpose or onward itinerary changes. A ticket confirms a booking, not permission to transit or enter.

Frequently asked questions

Is a transit visa the same as a visitor visa?

No. Canada describes separate categories and conditions. Use the official assessment for the route and purpose you will actually follow.

If I stay airside, can I assume I need no document?

No. The Canadian transit assessment still depends on passport, status, transport and duration. Check before travel, even if you do not plan to leave the airport.

Does a confirmed onward ticket settle the immigration requirement?

No. It documents the itinerary; it does not replace a required visa, eTA or other travel document.

Official rules checked October 27, 2026. Recheck the Government of Canada assessment before departure because requirements can change.