Canadian Visa Requirements for Mexican Citizens: eTA, Docs, Costs

Since February 29, 2024, Canada visa requirements for Mexican citizens have shifted back to the default rule: most Mexican passport holders now need a visitor visa (formally a Temporary Resident Visa) to enter Canada, at a cost of CAD $100 plus biometrics. A narrow group can still use the cheaper Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), but only if they are flying to Canada and already hold a valid U.S. nonimmigrant visa or held a Canadian visitor visa within the last 10 years.¹

Visitor Visa or eTA: Which One Applies to You

You qualify for an eTA instead of a full visitor visa only if all three of these are true at the same time:

You are flying to Canada on a commercial flight using a valid Mexican passport.
Your visit will be six months or less.
You currently hold a valid U.S. nonimmigrant visa, or you held a Canadian visitor visa at some point in the past 10 years.

Miss any one of those and you need a visitor visa. The eTA costs CAD $7, needs only a passport, an email address, and a card to pay with, and is usually approved within minutes.²

One trap catches people. The eTA is only for air travel. If you plan to drive, take a bus, arrive by train, or come by boat (including a cruise where you never leave the ship), you need a visitor visa even if you would otherwise qualify for an eTA.³

If you had an eTA linked to your Mexican passport before February 29, 2024, it was automatically cancelled unless it was tied to a valid Canadian work or study permit. Old bookings and previously valid eTAs do not carry you through the new rules.³

Just Connecting Through a Canadian Airport?

If your flight only connects through Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, or another Canadian airport and you will not leave the airport, you may need a free transit visa instead of a full visitor visa. Transit visas cover layovers of 48 hours or less and apply to travelers from visa-required countries who do not already hold a valid Canadian visitor visa or qualify for an eTA.⁴⁵ Most Mexican citizens now fall into that category.

Documents You Need for the Visitor Visa

Incomplete or inconsistent paperwork is the most common reason for refusal. Gather these before you start:

A valid Mexican passport. Your visa cannot last longer than your passport, so aim for at least six months of remaining validity.
Two identical passport-style photos taken within the past six months, meeting IRCC’s specifications for size, background, and expression.⁶
Financial proof: recent bank statements, pay stubs, or an employment letter confirming your salary and position. This shows you can afford the trip and have reasons to return home.
A travel itinerary with flight bookings, hotel reservations, or a clear plan of where you will stay and for how long.
The completed IMM 5257 form, the main visitor visa application. Fill it out on a computer to reduce errors.⁷

If someone in Canada is inviting you, include an invitation letter identifying the host, describing their relationship to you, explaining the purpose and length of your visit, and detailing the accommodation. If your host is also helping pay, attach their financial documents too. A formal Canadian sponsor needs a separate sponsorship letter backed by their own financial records.

How To Apply and What It Costs

Most people apply online through an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) secure account. The steps:

Create an IRCC account on the IRCC website.
Answer the eligibility questionnaire. It generates a personalized document checklist for your situation.
Upload your passport, photos, financial proof, and completed forms.
Pay the fees. The visitor visa itself is CAD $100 per person. Most applicants between 14 and 79 also pay CAD $85 for biometrics. Two or more family members applying together have the biometrics fee capped at CAD $170 total.⁸⁹
Submit electronically.

Paper applications through a Visa Application Centre (VAC) are accepted in limited situations, but online is faster and preferred by IRCC.

After You Submit

You will get confirmation that your application was received. Processing times shift, and IRCC publishes current estimates on its website.¹⁰

If you have not already given biometrics, you will receive a biometric instruction letter directing you to the nearest Visa Application Centre in Mexico. Only IRCC-authorized VAC locations and panel physicians can collect this information. An officer may also request an interview or additional documents.

If approved, a visa sticker (called a counterfoil) is placed in your passport. Most approved visitor visas are multiple-entry, so you can enter Canada as often as you want while the visa is valid. Validity runs up to 10 years or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first.¹¹

What Happens at the Canadian Border

A valid visa or eTA gets you to the border officer’s booth. The officer decides whether to let you in, and they can refuse entry even if your visa is perfectly valid.¹² Officers assess whether you:

Have a valid passport.
Are in good health. For visits of six months or less, a medical exam is generally not required unless you plan to work in healthcare, schools, or childcare.¹³
Have no serious criminal history. Convictions for offenses including impaired driving can make you inadmissible.
Have enough money for your stay, accommodation, and return trip, for yourself and anyone traveling with you.
Genuinely intend to leave when your authorized stay ends.

Misrepresentation on your application, past immigration violations, and an inadmissible family member are also grounds for refusal.¹²

Expect questions about where you are staying, how long you plan to visit, what you do for work back home, and whether you have family or friends in Canada. Your answers should match your application exactly. Vague or contradictory responses raise flags. Bring printed copies of your hotel booking, return flight, invitation letter, and financial documents even if you already submitted them online.

If admitted, you will usually get an authorized stay of up to six months. If the officer stamps a specific date in your passport, that date controls. If there is no stamp, the default is six months from your date of entry or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.¹⁴

Extending Your Stay

To stay longer than your authorized period, apply for a visitor record before your current status expires. The application is submitted online through your IRCC account from inside Canada.¹⁵ Apply well in advance. If your status expires while the extension is still being processed, you fall into “implied status,” where you can stay but cannot easily leave and come back. Overstaying without applying is a serious immigration violation that will affect future applications.

If Your Application Is Refused

Reapplying with the same documents almost always produces the same result. The refusal letter explains the specific reasons the officer denied your application. Common reasons include weak ties to your home country, insufficient financial support, and an unclear purpose for the trip.¹⁶

You can reapply at any time, but only if your situation has genuinely changed. That means new information or documents that directly address the reasons in the refusal letter — an updated bank statement showing a stronger balance, a new employment letter, a clearer travel plan. Simply resubmitting the same package will not change the outcome.¹⁶

Traveling With Children

Children need the same visa or eTA as an adult. Canadian border officers may also ask for documentation proving the child has permission to travel:

A child traveling alone should carry a letter signed by both parents (or the legal guardian) with their contact information and the name, address, and phone number of the adult who will care for the child in Canada.
A child traveling with one parent should carry a letter signed by the other parent, plus a photocopy of that parent’s signed passport or national ID. A parent with sole custody can sign the letter alone but should bring a copy of the custody order.
A child traveling with someone other than a parent should carry written permission from both parents or guardians, including their contact details and photocopies of their signed passports or national IDs.

These letters do not need to be notarized, and officers may not always ask, but being turned back at the border because the letter is at home is avoidable. Write the letter in English or French if possible.¹⁷

1
Government of Canada. Updated Travel Information for Mexican Citizens Coming to Canada
2
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
3
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Changes to Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) and Visitor Visa Requirements for Mexican Citizens
4
Government of Canada. Transit Visa
5
Government of Canada. Transit Visa – Who Can Apply
6
Government of Canada. Temporary Resident Visa Application Photograph Specifications
7
Government of Canada. Application for Visitor Visa (Temporary Resident Visa) (IMM 5257)
8
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Application Fees
9
Government of Canada. Biometrics – Who Needs to Give Their Fingerprints and Photo
10
Canada.ca. Check Current IRCC Processing Times
11
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Help Centre – What Is the Difference Between a Single-Entry and a Multiple-Entry Visa?
12
Government of Canada. Reasons You May Be Inadmissible to Canada
13
Canada.ca. Medical Exams for Visitors, Students and Workers
14
Government of Canada. Visitor Visa – About the Document
15
Government of Canada. Extend Your Stay in Canada (Visitor Record)
16
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Help Centre – My Application for a Visitor Visa Was Refused. Should I Apply Again?
17
Government of Canada. Minor Children Travelling to Canada