Entry rule for your passport
No visa for most visits; Canadians can usually stay 6 months. By air, carry a passport valid for your whole stay or a NEXUS card. Register if you stay over 30 days.
Official sources: Government of Canada.
Who this covers: Canadian citizens on short tourist visits by air, land or water, excluding US permanent residents returning under that status. Canadian permanent residence alone does not give this citizenship exemption.
Check your circumstances
Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.
- Passport type Conditions to check
- By air, use a passport valid for your whole stay or a NEXUS card at designated airports. Temporary passports and emergency travel documents can follow different rules.
Official sources: Government of Canada.
- Trip purpose Conditions to check
- Tourism needs no visa. Some purposes do, including treaty traders and investors, fiancés of US citizens and foreign officials.
Official sources: US Department of State.
- Age Confirmed for this scope
- By land or water, children 15 and under may use a birth certificate or citizenship certificate. By air, every traveler needs a passport or NEXUS card.
Official sources: Government of Canada.
- Residence Conditions to check
- Canadian permanent residents who are not citizens follow their passport nationality rules. Eligible VWP nationals may use ESTA; others may need a visa.
Official sources: Government of Canada.
- Other visas or residence permits Conditions to check
- No other visa or permit is needed. Dual Canadian and US citizens must enter on their US passport.
Official sources: Government of Canada.
- Carrier and arrival route Conditions to check
- Document rules depend on the route: by land or water, travelers 16 and older need a WHTI-compliant document such as a passport or trusted traveler card.
Official sources: Government of Canada.
- Stay and visa validity Conditions to check
- Canadians can usually stay 6 months without a visa and must declare their intended length of stay on entry.
Official sources: Government of Canada.
Register for stays over 30 days
Canadians and other foreign nationals visiting the US for longer than 30 days must be registered with the US government. Check whether you were registered automatically by looking up your I-94 record on the CBP website, and see the USCIS site if you were not.
Failing to register can lead to penalties, fines and prosecution.
Official sources: Government of Canada.
Questions at the border
Officers may ask for your address in the US, evidence of ties to Canada such as work, home or studies, proof that the trip has a real purpose and a reasonable length, and proof of funds.
Expect scrutiny, including of electronic devices. Answer openly: travelers refused entry can be detained while awaiting removal.
Official sources: Government of Canada.
When a Canadian needs a visa
Canadian citizens who are inadmissible under US law, or who broke the terms of an earlier stay, may need a visa or a waiver. Treaty traders, treaty investors and fiancés are among the categories needing visas.
Returning US permanent residents follow separate documentation rules. Check those rules instead of using the Canadian tourist exemption.
Official sources: US Department of State; US Department of State.
Check temporary health entry restrictions
After 11:59 PM EST on November 3, 2026, passengers on international flights to or connecting through the US must sign a DRC travel-history attestation.
Recent presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan can prevent boarding or entry. Check the CDC restrictions before booking, including connections through those countries. Completing the form does not remove a restriction.
Official sources: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Check the linked authorities again before travel; United States makes the final entry decision.
Approved by TravPa Editors.