( Spanish) — The Government of Canada will allow citizens of Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica and Panama to enter its territory by air without a visa, as part of the Electronic Travel Authorization Program (—eTA—, for its acronym in English). The measure came into effect on Tuesday, the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The benefit applies to all citizens who have obtained a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or who have a valid non-resident visa in the United States, which shortens the processing time to obtain permission to enter and remain in Canada for a period up to six months.
To apply for an electronic travel authorization, all you need is a valid passport, a credit card, an email address and internet access, according to the statement from the Canadian authorities.
The governments of Costa Rica and Panama applauded this decision as part of an expansion of bilateral relations with Canada. In a statement, the Argentine Foreign Ministry stated that the initiative is one more example of the excellent state of relations between the two countries.
