ETIAS France entry requirements from Canada

From 2026, Canadian citizens will need to obtain an ETIAS visa waiver before travelling to France or any of the other Schengen countries. The online ETIAS France form will take just a few minutes to complete.

ETIAS has been designed to strengthen Europe’s border security by screening visitors to the Schengen Area before they arrive. By doing so it is expected that travelling in France will become much safer for locals and tourists.

Do Canadians need a visa for France?

Canadians do not normally need a visa for short trips to France. Those who wish to visit France for their holidays do not have to obtain an entry permit at the French embassy beforehand.

When ETIAS is fully active, Canadians will still be able to travel to France without a visa, providing they have a valid ETIAS visa waiver.

However, France’s visa policy states that if a Canadian citizen wishes to relocate to France or remain for long periods of time, such as to study or find work, they need to get a relevant visa.

Canadians can check the visa policy of France to see which visas are available. The visa must be valid for the length of stay and reason for travel, such as a work permit or student visa.

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Can Canadians travel to France?

With France ETIAS, Canadian citizens will be able to visit France visa-free for tourism or business purposes for up to 90 days per 180-day period. Their current visa-free status in France and the Schengen Area, therefore, will remain unchanged.

Canadians will need to obtain a European ETIAS for France before departure. Although ETIAS is not a visa for France, it will become a mandatory for the entry into France from Canada.

To stay in France for more than 90 days, or for reasons other than tourism or business, a French visa for Canadians will still be required once ETIAS is implemented. French visas can be obtained at an embassy or consulate.

ETIAS Canada for France key information

ETIAS France application for Canadians

The ETIAS France application for Canadians will be fully online. Canadian passport holders who meet the ETIAS requirements can simply complete the digital form, pay the visa waiver fees, and submit the request for review.

The ETIAS France form also includes several security-related questions. The answers provided will be used to verify that the individual may safely enter the country.

All the data provided will be cross-checked against various Schengen Area security databases such as Europol, Interpol, and the Visa Information System. Provided nothing is flagged up during this automatic process, the ETIAS France will be approved at this stage.

Travelling to France from Canada with an ETIAS visa waiver

On approval, the France visa waiver ETIAS is electronically linked to the traveller’s Canadian passport.

The visa waiver is only valid with the passport used to make the application and cannot be transferred to another travel document. A new ETIAS France application must be submitted if the passport expires.

For the same reason, Canadian’s with dual citizenship must use the same passport to apply for ETIAS and travel to France.

The ETIAS visa waiver will be verified when the passport is scanned at the airport. After crossing the external border, Canadian ETIAS holders can travel freely around the Schengen Area: there are no border checkpoints in the travel zone.

Canadian citizens can visit France several times using the same visa waiver: France ETIAS is a multiple-entry permit valid for 3 years (or until the passport expires). The maximum length of each stay is 90 days per 180-day period.

Tourist information for Canadians in France

According to the Blue Cross, France is the most visited European destination for Canadians. It’s followed by Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Pre-pandemic figures showed 1,188,500 Canadian tourists visited France in 2018. After a significant drop in international travel during recent years, these numbers have started to increase again.

In the same year, Canadian travellers spent 11,808,500 nights in the country, accounting for an average of 9,93 nights per visitor.

Canadians tourists in France spent €930.775.890 in 2018, making an average of €783.15 per tourist. In 2019, this number decreased to €790.871.010.

Health information for Canadians travelling to France

The standard of healthcare in France is very high. Canadians travelling to France are advised to take out travel health insurance for their trip to France.

Other important health considerations when travelling from Canada to France: