Many people who obtain a second passport ask how they can travel to Canada with it. For Dominica and Vanuatu passports the answer is clear: both are on the official list of countries whose citizens need a visitor visa to visit or transit through Canada. This article is based on the official pages of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), checked on 26 October 2026.
Visa or eTA: which one do you need?
Canada has three situations for visitors. The nationality you travel with decides which one applies:
| Situation | For whom | Document needed to fly |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa | Citizens of countries on the "visa required" list, including Dominica and Vanuatu | A visitor visa and a valid passport |
| Electronic travel authorization (eTA) | Citizens of visa-exempt countries flying to Canada or transiting through a Canadian airport | An eTA and a valid passport |
| Neither | US citizens; dual Canadian citizens, who must travel with a Canadian passport | The relevant passport |
The official "entry requirements by country or territory" page lists Dominica and Vanuatu among the visa-required countries and gives no eTA note for them. This means that with a Dominica or Vanuatu passport you need a visa even to transit through a Canadian airport. According to the same page, citizens of the listed countries "need a valid visitor visa and a valid passport to visit or transit through Canada".
If you also hold a passport from a visa-exempt country, you need an eTA rather than a visa when you fly with that passport. The eTA is linked to the passport you applied with.
The Canadian visitor visa: official fees
From IRCC's official fee list (page dated 21 September 2026):
| Service | Fee in Canadian dollars |
|---|---|
| Visitor visa, single or multiple entry, per person | 100 |
| Visitor visa, maximum for a family of 5 or more applying at the same time and place | 500 |
| Biometrics (fingerprints and photo), per person | 85 |
| Biometrics, family maximum (2 or more people applying at the same time) | 170 |
| Extending your stay in Canada as a visitor, per person | 100 |
| Electronic travel authorization (eTA) | 7 |
The super visa for parents and grandparents is in the same line as the visitor visa, so its processing fee is CAN$100 per person.
Who gives biometrics
According to the official biometrics page (page dated 30 March 2026), most applicants must give their fingerprints and photo. Children under 14 and applicants over 79 are exempt, so in practice people aged 14 to 79 give biometrics. Find the place to give them with the "find a collection point" tool on IRCC's site.
How long the visa lasts and how to apply
From the official page on applying for a visitor visa (page dated 28 August 2026):
- You apply online. Applications go through the IRCC Portal or an IRCC secure account. Paper applications are accepted only in specific situations, for example when you cannot apply online.
- Documents. A digital copy of your passport is required, and according to the official page the passport should be valid "at least 6 months from the date you plan to travel". Other documents appear on each applicant's personal checklist in the portal. The official page names travel history, an itinerary, bank statements and an employer letter among the recommended documents. A letter authorizing a minor child to travel may be needed.
- Validity. A visitor visa may be issued "for up to 10 years or until the expiry date of either your passport or biometrics, whichever comes first". The officer may set a shorter date.
- Payment and equipment. To apply online you need a scanner or camera and a valid credit or debit card.
The official page gives no figure for processing times; they differ from country to country and should be checked with IRCC's official "processing times" tool.
What an eTA is and when it is useful to you
From the official eTA pages:
- An eTA is needed by citizens of visa-exempt countries flying to Canada or transiting through a Canadian airport.
- It costs CAN$7, and you need a valid passport, a credit or debit card and an email address to apply.
- It is valid "for up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first". A new passport needs a new eTA.
- Most applicants get their approval by email "within minutes"; if documents are requested it can take several days.
- With a valid eTA you can visit Canada as often as you want for short stays, "normally for up to six months at a time".
- Visa-exempt travellers arriving by car, bus, train or boat (including a cruise ship) do not need an eTA.
None of this applies to Dominica and Vanuatu passports, because these two passports need a visa. But if a member of your family holds a passport from a visa-exempt country, the eTA is their route.
Example: a family's official visa fees
A family of four with Dominica passports: a father aged 45, a mother aged 42, and two children aged 16 and 10. All of them apply for a visitor visa at the same time.
| Item | Calculation | Canadian dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa fee | 4 people × 100 (fewer than 5, so the 500 maximum does not apply) | 400 |
| Biometrics | three people aged 14 to 79; 3 × 85 = 255, but the family maximum is 170 | 170 |
| Total official fees | 570 |
The 10-year-old child gives no biometrics. If the same family had one more member, the visa fee would reach the CAN$500 maximum. Travel to the biometrics location, document translation and other costs are separate.
Practical tips
- Get the visa before you buy your ticket. With a Dominica or Vanuatu passport you cannot board a flight with an eTA.
- With these passports a visa is also needed to transit through a Canadian airport to another destination.
- If you hold another passport that is visa-exempt, get an eTA with that passport and travel with it.
- Check your passport's validity before you apply; the visa does not go beyond the passport's expiry date.
- Apply only on IRCC's official site and pay the fee there.
- See travel with a Dominica passport in "Travelling on a Dominica passport: visa-free countries and visa countries" and with a Vanuatu passport in "Travelling on a Vanuatu passport: visa-free countries and recent changes".
Royal Golden does not handle Canadian visa applications and does not give Canadian immigration advice. This article is general information, and the decision on any application rests with the Government of Canada.
Sources
- Government of Canada, entry requirements by country or territory (page dated 31 July 2026) — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/entry-requirements-country.html (checked on 26 October 2026)
- IRCC, fee list (page dated 21 September 2026) — https://ircc.canada.ca/english/information/fees/fees.asp (checked on 26 October 2026)
- Government of Canada, apply for a visitor visa (page dated 28 August 2026) — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/apply-visitor-visa.html (checked on 26 October 2026)
- Government of Canada, biometrics (page dated 30 March 2026) — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/campaigns/biometrics.html (checked on 26 October 2026)
- Government of Canada, electronic travel authorization (eTA) (page dated 5 June 2026) — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta.html (checked on 26 October 2026)
- Government of Canada, eTA facts (page dated 23 April 2024) — https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta/facts.html (checked on 26 October 2026)