Canada visa: the documents you need if you live in Switzerland

In short

• Swiss passport (and most EU passports, for example): no visa. To fly you need an eTA. With eVisas.ch from CHF 40.
• Passport from a visa-required country, for example India, Sri Lanka, Türkiye, Pakistan or Nigeria: you need a visitor visa. With eVisas.ch CHF 340 per person, all included.
• There is no Canadian visa application centre in Switzerland. You give your fingerprints and photo in, for example, Lyon, Paris, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Vienna or Rome.
• Important if you are not Swiss: your Swiss residence permit card is a required part of the application.

Checklist: visitor visa

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CA

Documents you need

• Passport: the page with your photo and date of birth, and every page with stamps or visas. It should be valid for at least 6 months from your travel date.
• Swiss residence permit card (B, C, L …), front and back: if you are not a citizen of the country you live in, you must prove your legal status there.
• Photo that meets Canada's specifications. We check that it does.
• Bank statements for the last 6 months, showing the bank's name and yours.
• Purpose of your trip: for example an invitation letter from family or friends in Canada, or a letter from your employer for a business trip.
• Employer letter: confirming your job and that you return after the trip.
• Previous visas and passports from the last 10 years (recommended).
• Itinerary (recommended): flights, accommodation or event registration.
• Children: a child travelling without both parents needs a letter from the parents.

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Fingerprints and photo: where?

After you apply, Canada sends a biometric instruction letter. From then on you have 30 days to give your fingerprints and photo. Book the appointment straight away.

Canada has no visa application centre in Switzerland. If your country has none, you may use any other. The nearest are Lyon and Paris in France, Düsseldorf and Berlin in Germany, Vienna and Rome. We tell you which one suits you best. The trip there is not included in the price.

Who only needs an eTA

With a passport from a visa-exempt country, Switzerland included, you only need an eTA to fly to Canada. Most applications are approved within minutes. Travelling in by car, bus or train from the USA needs no eTA.

There is an exception for citizens of 17 countries who would otherwise need a visa: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay. Under certain conditions an eTA is enough for them instead of a visa, but only when flying in. We check whether that applies to you.

Tips

1. Apply early: Canada's processing time depends on your country and can take several weeks.
2. Don't book non-refundable flights before you have the visa.
3. Not sure whether you need a visa or an eTA? Message us on WhatsApp. We'll tell you for free.