Mexico to Canada visa requirements

Most Mexican ordinary-passport holders need a visitor visa (Temporary Resident Visa) for Canada. Since 29 February 2024, only those flying by air who hold a valid U.S. nonimmigrant visa when applying for the eTA, or have held a Canadian visitor visa in the last 10 years, may use the cheaper eTA instead. Mexican citizens are NOT visa-free for Canada. On 29 February 2024 Canada reimposed visa-like requirements: the partial visa exemption that let all Mexicans use an eTA was scrapped. Today the default pathway for a tourist is the Temporary Resident Visa (visitor visa, CAN$100 + CAN$85 biometrics unless exempt). There is a narrower eTA fast-track (CAN$7, air travel only) but it is restricted to Mexicans who, at the time of applying, hold a valid U.S. nonimmigrant visa OR a Canadian visa issued within the previous 10 years. eTAs issued before the cutoff were cancelled unless linked to a valid Canadian work or study permit. Anyone arriving by land, bus, train, car, or cruise/boat needs the visitor visa regardless of any U.S. visa. IRCC's Mexico visitor-visa processing estimate was 27 days in the 17 June 2026 update, excluding biometrics time and VAC document transit. Because the eTA only covers a minority of travelers, the conservative default for a typical Mexican tourist is the visitor visa.