Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has released the definitive 2026 registry of countries whose citizens must secure a valid visitor visa before crossing Canadian borders. The mandatory visa rule applies across all methods of entry, including air, land, train, and sea vessels.
Mandatory Visa List for 2026
The official document lists all nations subject to the traditional visa requirement. Passport holders from these jurisdictions cannot use automated border systems and must undergo formal consular evaluation. Additionally, most visa applicants must submit digital biometric data, including fingerprints and official photographs, as part of the screening process.
The list includes: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China (People's Republic), Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Democratic Republic), Congo (Republic), Costa Rica, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel (for holders of Travel Document in Lieu of National Passport), Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macao SAR, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives Islands, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania (holders of non-electronic/temporary passports), Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome e Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Taiwan (holders of passports lacking a personal ID number), Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Türkiye, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Exceptions for Electronic Authorization
Immigration authorities clarified that select passport holders from a few visa-required nations might be eligible to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) instead of a full visa. However, this concession applies exclusively to travellers arriving by air who meet strict secondary security criteria, such as holding specific historic or active foreign travel clearances.
If travellers from these conditional countries arrive via land or sea, such as on a cruise ship or driving across the border, the eTA is invalid, and a traditional physical visitor visa is mandatory. Stateless individuals and those travelling with refugee travel documents face the same visa obligations regardless of their route.
New Asylum Rules for Nigerians
Canada has also rolled out far-reaching changes to its immigration and asylum framework that will affect Nigerians and other foreign nationals seeking protection, study, or work opportunities. The reforms follow the passage of Bill C-12, officially titled the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act, which received royal assent on March 26, 2026.
