Do you need a Canada tourist visa from Dubai?

More than six million visitors visited Dubai in 2021 despite the Covid-19 pandemic. A luxurious city with so many attractions from the desert, shopping, malls, EXPO, architecture,  and other attractions have a slot to offer to its visitors. You might want to visit Canada from Dubai and experience freezing weather after being in hot deserts. If you want to know about a Canada tourist visa from Dubai, you have come to the right place.

Visa Library explains who needs a Canada tourist visa from Dubai, who needs an eTA, requirements, and the application process.

Should you apply for a Canada tourist visa from Dubai or eTA?

You might be eligible for Canada eTA and do not need a Canada tourist visa from Dubai.

The citizens and nationals of the United Arab Emirates are eligible to apply for eTA.

The visa-exempt countries or groups can apply and receive An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), which is easy and convenient to apply. The eTA is attached to the passport electronically, and the holder can stay in the country for up to six months.

The travelers who have a valid passport from one of the following countries can apply for an eTA instead of a Canada tourist visa from Dubai:

British overseas territory citizen

*With a right of residence in the United Kingdom

**Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China must have a passport issued by Hong Kong SAR.

*** Must have an Israeli national passport

****Electronic passport holders only

*****The State must have a passport or travel document issued by the Vatican.

If you have a passport or legal residence permit from one of the above countries, you do not need a Canada tourist visa from Dubai. You can apply for the eTA, which its application process is online and is issued electronically.

Note: if your nationality is not among the above list of countries, you need a Canada tourist visa from Dubai.

How to apply for an eTA instead of a Canadian tourist visa from Dubai?

You need the following to apply for eTA;

• A verified email address
• A passport from one of the eligible countries
• A credit or debit card to pay the visa fee

Enter the Portal of eTA on the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada website. Complete the forms, pay the fee and proceed as instructed on the website. You receive your visa within minutes in your Gmail, but in some cases, it can take a few days until you receive it.

The stages explained above about the new rules over the Covid-19 are true for the eTA as well.

How should you apply for a Canada tourist visa from Dubai?

The application process for Canada tourist visa from Dubai could vary by your conditions and nationality. But a general one you have to follow is as follows:

Before you decide to visit the country and apply for Canada tourist visa from Dubai, you should know the travels are restricted, and it’s a bit hard to receive a Canada tourist visa from Dubai.

But you can hope to receive the visa by your conditions as it’s not impossible.

Check the eligibility principles

The IRCC requires travelers to be fully vaccinated with one of the approved vaccines.  This is the first requirement that the website requires before you begin the application process. The approved vaccines are as follows:

• AstraZeneca
• Bharat Biotech
• Janssen
• Moderna
• Pfizer-BioNTech
• Sinopharm
• Sinovac

It is accepted if you have received a combination of at least 2 doses of the above-approved vaccines.

If you have received the vaccine, it must be 14 days before the date you want to enter Canada.

If you have received your dose on January 1st, 2022, then February 16th is the date you meet the eligibility principle.

Pre-entry and arrival checklist

A Canada tourist visa from Dubai applicant needs the following to enter the country:

• A negative Covid-19 test result is required.
• Complete teh ArriveCAN:
  • Use the app or use a computer to enter the program and complete the vaccination and quarantine plan. The program is free, and you do not have to pay any fees.
  • You need to create an account in the portal and include your information.
  • Applicants must complete the ArriveCAN 72 hours before getting to Canada.
  • Receiving the receipt of ArriveCAN is required. Print it and carry it during the trip.

Note. You do not need ArriveCAn to enter Canada anymore. 

Positive Covid-19 test result

You have a positive COVID-19 test result despite being vaccinated. Now what?

In this case, you need a quarantine plan and stay there for a few days and take another test on the 8th day.

Taking an arrival test

When you enter Canada, the border officials might require you to take a test randomly. The decision is with them, and they pick people by chance, and you have nothing to worry about.

In case you have been recovered from the Covid, and you have a positive test result no older than 180 days, you are exempt from the arrival test.

Children under 5 and people getting to the country by boat are also exempt from the arrival test.

In case the border officials require you to take a test before getting out of the airport, you can register with the airport test provider to speed up the process.

The test is conducted by the officials, or they prove a self-swab kit to do it yourself and provide them the results. If it’s on you, you need to do it within 24 hours of entering the country and arrange for the sample to be picked up.

Covid-19 ariva test result

When the result of the Covid-19 test is negative, you can leave the quarantine, but you need to wear a mask in public places for at least 14 days.

If the test is positive, you need to stay in quarantine for 14 days, and children have to be isolated for 10 days.

Applying for a Canada tourist visa from Dubai

Canada tourist visa is often gest called Canada visitor visa.

You need to enter the Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada website. The website requires you to determine the purpose of your visit, which could be:

• Join a family member
• Business
• Attend a funeral or wedding ceremony
• Get on a sea vessel
• Conduct a diplomatic mission
• To handle the affairs of a victim of Ukraine Airlines PS752

There could be different requirements for each one of the above purposes of the visit. If your purpose is business, you can apply for a Canada business visa.

When you pick the purpose of your visit, you get the instructions on the website. In case it’s the first time you are applying for Canada tourist visa from Dubai, you need to create an account for yourself. You need an email address and set a verified password to create an account.

Then you need to complete an online form and provide all the required information. The form is clear, and you can understand what to do.

After that, you need to provide the supporting documents, and the website informs you of a full list of them—the very for each applicant and for the purpose of your visit.

The following are some samples:

• Proof of vaccination
• Proof of a negative COVID-19 test result
• ArriveCAN receipt
• ArriveCAN receipt
• Clean record certificate
• Passport
• Travel Itinerary
• Family and business ties to return to your home country
• Employer information (business purpose)
• Invitation letter

Note: the IRCC might require further supporting documents. After completing the documents and forms, you need to pay the visa processing fees, which are $CA100.

Biometrics

When you complete the online application, you need to attend a visa meeting to provide your digital photo and fingerprints. If you have attended biometrics in the last 10 years, you do not need to take another one.

The Canada tourist visa from Dubai applicants residing in the city needs to visit the United Arab Emirates VAC to take the biometrics. They need to reserve a date after submitting the requirements. Do it as soon as possible.

The IRCC processes the application, and if everything is fit, they issue the visa; you need to send your passport to them, so they stick the visa on it and post it back to you.

To enter Canada, the VAC will send you instructions and things to do. You also need the above requirements for Covid-19.

Let’s sum up…

If you are in Dubai and want to visit Canada, you might need a visa. The article explained who needs a Canada tourist visa from Dubai, who needs an eTA, requirements, and the application process. The new rules over the Covid-19 pandemic and the Omicron variant were also got explained.

To know more about other countries’ visas, go through the top and left-sidebar menu.