Do US citizens need a visa for Canada?
No. US citizens need neither a visa nor an eTA for Canada. A valid passport is the only document accepted on every route, and a criminal record can still bar entry.
Updated
What US citizens need at the border
Canada does not issue visas or eTAs to US citizens. What the border services officer wants is proof of your citizenship and your identity.
| How you travel | What US citizens can present |
|---|---|
| By air | A valid US passport. Canada calls the passport the only reliable and universally accepted travel and ID document. |
| By land or sea | A passport, or other proof of citizenship such as a birth certificate or certificate of naturalisation together with photo ID. An enhanced driver's licence or a NEXUS card also works. |
| Children | Canadian and US children under 16 can cross by land or sea on a birth certificate or other proof of citizenship. |
Even if you cross by land on a birth certificate, carry your passport. It is what you will need if you end up flying home.
If you are a US green card holder
Permanent residents of the US are exempt from the eTA, but they are not exempt from documents. Flying to Canada, you need the passport from your country of citizenship plus your valid green card or other proof of permanent resident status.
By land or water, your green card or equivalent proof of status is enough on its own.
How long you can stay
Most visitors get up to six months. The officer can grant less or more, and if they do they will stamp the date you must leave in your passport or hand you a visitor record showing it.
If you get no stamp and no visitor record, the six-month stay runs from the day you entered.
Important: Canada can refuse you for criminality, and that includes driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It is not something you can argue away at the border, so if you have any conviction, read the overcoming criminal inadmissibility guidance on canada.ca well before you travel.
Officers can ask where you are staying. A hotel booking you can cancel for free, made on trip1 and paid in Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDC or any of 120+ cryptocurrencies through CoinGate, answers that without committing you to the dates.
Entry rules can change and the officer at the border makes the final call, so confirm your own situation on canada.ca before you go.
Do US citizens need a visa for Canada - FAQ
Yes. US citizens need neither a visitor visa nor an eTA to enter Canada, and most can stay up to 180 days. What the border officer checks is proof of your US citizenship and identity. A valid US passport is the safest document because it is the only one accepted on every route, including flights.
No. The eTA is for visa-exempt foreign nationals flying to Canada, and US citizens are exempt. US green card holders do not need an eTA either, but when flying they must carry the passport of their country of citizenship plus a valid green card. By land or water, the green card alone is enough.
Only if it is an enhanced driver's licence, and only by land or sea. A standard licence does not prove citizenship, so pair it with a birth certificate or another citizenship document. A US passport card or NEXUS card also works at land and sea crossings. To fly to Canada, you need a valid US passport.
Yes. Canada lists driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol as criminality that can make you inadmissible, whatever passport you hold. Depending on the case and how long ago the sentence ended, you may be deemed rehabilitated, apply for individual rehabilitation, or request a temporary resident permit. Sort this out well before you travel.
To fly, yes: US citizens need a valid US passport. By land or sea, Canada also accepts other proof of citizenship and identity, and US children under 16 can cross with a birth certificate. Canada still calls the passport the only universally accepted travel document, so bring it even when you drive in, in case you fly home.