The world is reopening to tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic and many citizens regain their desire to travel after a while without being able to do so. Traveling to safe destinations that offer interesting maps and landscapes is the goal of most tourists, with countries like Canada triumphing as one of the most popular options this year.
But if a Spanish citizen wants to visit Canada, he must remember that he must have previously requested the AVE Canada which allows access to the country as a tourist. It’s a electronic travel authorization that allows you to travel to Canada without a visa and to obtain it, it is necessary to complete an online application form which has a cost of $ 49 per applicant.
What is eTA?
The eTA is a travel authorization, which is nothing more than a pre-authorization for visa-free travelers. It is the mechanism the country has to pre-assess travelers who want to enter Canada. In this way the migration procedure at the entrance to the airport is much reduced. Travelers who enter the country without the eTA run the risk of being detained and deported to their country of origin.
The eTA application process is very simple and is done entirely online. Once the process is complete, the travel authorization is normally received within an hour. You do not need to have a physical copy of this authorization with you when you arrive in Canada, you just need your passport, this is what they will use to check if you have permission or not.
It is a necessary authorization to travel to Canada, whether for tourism, business, transit to a third country or to visit family and friends. Minors are also required to request it, unless they have a study visa and arrive in the country with it. The simple fact of requesting the eTA is not a guarantee of receiving an affirmative answer, since the traveler must answer in a mandatory way all the questions put to him during the process. If the application is rejected, the traveler can go to a Canadian embassy to apply for a visa in the country to enter.
Application and validity of the eTA
The eTA request is made within minutes, although from the time the process is complete until a response is received it may take up to 72 hours maximum. It is advisable to request it as soon as possible, so that any delay in issuing the authorization does not affect your trip. The response is received by an e-mail which must be indicated during the request.
It is important to check that there are no typographical errors, otherwise you may lose the request and the amount you had to pay for it. The validity of an eTA is 5 years upon entry into force. But this is only the case if the validity of your passport reaches these 5 years, because if it expires before the eTA, it will also expire before.
During the validity period of the eTA, you can use it as many times as you want, but always keeping in mind that each visit to Canada should not last more than 6 months, something that does not happen when traveling for tourism in the North American country.
Other requirements to consider
When traveling to Canada using an eTA for tourism, it is important that you meet other requirements as well. A valid passport, be in good health, demonstrate that you have links with your country of origin, have no criminal conviction or related to irregular immigration, show that you have enough money to stay in the country or even convince the immigration officer that you do not intend to stay in the country and that you will leave after your trip.
As can be seen, Spain is one of the eligible countries for its citizens to enter Canada visa-free using the AVE travel authorization. You just need to complete the online procedure and pay the service fee to wait for authorization through your email. A simple procedure which is also in force, under other names, in many other countries of the world.
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