Canada visa requirements for Mexican citizens
Mexican citizens need a visa for Canada and must apply for it before the trip at a consulate or embassy.
- Minimum passport validity
- No minimum: it just has to be valid
Last verified: 9 September 2026
How this visa is processed
IRCC online (Canada.ca): Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or, if the exception applies, Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)
On 29 February 2024 Canada reinstated a visa requirement for Mexicans and cancelled every eTA issued up to that date, so the rule is no longer the one that applied from 2016 to 2024. There are now two situations. A Mexican citizen can still travel on an eTA alone (electronic authorisation, CAD 7, obtained in minutes and tied to the passport) if they hold a valid US non-immigrant visa, or if they have held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years and travel with the same passport used to obtain it, and they enter Canada by air. Anyone who fits neither case needs the Temporary Resident Visa (TRV): it is applied for online at IRCC, costs CAD 100 plus CAD 85 for biometrics, and fingerprints must be given at a Canadian visa application centre (VAC): there are several in Mexico. Check your own situation before buying tickets: the gap between a one-day eTA and a multi-week TRV depends entirely on whether or not you hold that US or Canadian visa.
Official application site →Application details verified on 9 September 2026. Sources: canada.ca / IRCC ("Mexican citizens: Find out if you need a visa or an eTA": the 29 February 2024 change, the valid-US-visa or Canadian-visa-in-the-past-10-years condition, air travel, CAD 100 + CAD 85 fees and CAD 7 eTA) and embamex.sre.gob.mx/canada (Embassy of Mexico in Canada information note on the new 2024 requirements). Checked 9 September 2026.
Verified practical details
You'll need to apply for a visa at a consulate or embassy before travelling. Here are the practical details we've verified:
Required documents
- A valid passport
- A temporary resident visa or an eTA, depending on your nationality
- A copy of your air ticket and travel itinerary, showing when you plan to return
How much money you need to show
Canada sets no figure. For the visitor visa it asks for enough money for your stay, and how much depends on how long you stay and whether you will be in a hotel or with friends or relatives.
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), eligibility for a visitor visa. Checked on 1 November 2026.
Health insurance
Not mandatory for this destination.
When travel insurance is mandatory → Travel insurance policies ↓Transit rules
As a rule, passing through a Canadian airport in transit calls for the same document as entering: a temporary resident visa or an eTA, depending on your nationality. The exception is two specific programmes, Transit Without Visa (TWOV) and the China Transit Program (CTP), which let certain nationals transit through Canada to or from the United States without a Canadian transit visa, provided they meet each programme's requirements.
More Canada rules
They don't depend on your passport, so they are on the Canada page:
Official portal: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship.html. Destination data verified on 10 August 2026. Sources: canada.ca/.../eta.html, cbsa-asfc.gc.ca (customs and exemptions) (checked 10 August 2026).
Travel insurance for Canada
It isn't listed as mandatory for this entry, but without insurance, medical care during the trip can get expensive.
See IATI's international site →IATI sells its policies according to the country you live in. Where do you live?
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Things to see and do in Canada
Tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips, most with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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This pair in context
In the other direction, citizens of Canada can enter Mexico visa-free. See the Canada → Mexico page.
All 8 passports from Central America that VisaRadar tracks need a visa to enter Canada. Same result as Mexico: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
A passport from Mexico ranks 57 of 199 in the VisaRadar passport ranking and reaches 131 of 198 destinations without applying for a visa in advance.
Counts from the same requirements matrix behind this page's verdict, using the UN M49 subregions.
Frequently asked questions
Do Mexican citizens need a visa for Canada?
Yes. You must apply for the visa in advance at the relevant consulate or embassy.
What minimum passport validity is required?
There is no minimum number of months: the passport just has to be valid.
What currency is used in Canada?
Canadian Dollar (CAD).
I have a valid US tourist visa: do I need a visa for Canada?
No. With a valid US non-immigrant visa you can travel to Canada by air on an eTA alone (CAD 7), without applying for the Temporary Resident Visa.
Why did the rule change in 2024?
On 29 February 2024 Canada reinstated the visa requirement for Mexicans and cancelled previous eTAs. Since then only those with a US visa, or who held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years, keep eTA access.
How much money do Mexican passport holders need to enter Canada?
Canada sets no figure. For the visitor visa it asks for enough money for your stay, and how much depends on how long you stay and whether you will be in a hotel or with friends or relatives.
Related pages
See Canada requirements for other passports →
Informational only. Always verify requirements with the official embassy or consulate before you travel.