Poland to Canada visa requirements

Polish ordinary passport holders are visa-exempt for Canada but must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before flying. The eTA costs CAD $7, is normally approved within minutes, is valid up to 5 years, and permits stays of up to 6 months per entry. Poland is on Canada's list of visa-exempt (eTA-eligible) countries, and has been since the eTA program launched in 2016. This means a Polish citizen travelling for tourism or a short visit does NOT need a temporary resident (visitor) visa. Instead, when arriving by air on a commercial or charter flight, they must hold a valid Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), which is electronically linked to the passport used to apply. The eTA application is a simple online form requiring a valid Polish passport, a credit/debit card and an email address; the government fee is CAD $7 and most approvals arrive within minutes (officially, processing can take up to a few days in rare cases). An eTA is valid for up to 5 years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, and allows multiple entries. The maximum authorized stay is determined by the border services officer at the port of entry, normally up to 6 months. Importantly, the eTA is required only for AIR travel — Polish citizens entering Canada by land (car, bus, train) or by sea (including cruise ship) do not need an eTA, though they still need a valid passport and may be examined at the border. Canada is not part of the Schengen area, so the Schengen 90/180 rule and ETIAS do not apply to entry into Canada (ETIAS is a separate European scheme that affects Canadians visiting Europe, not the reverse). Travellers should apply for the eTA before booking final travel and only through the official Canada.ca website to avoid third-party markup.