This guide covers UK visa and ETA requirements from Canada in 2026. Canadian citizens are visa-exempt for short visits and need only a £20 Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) rather than a visitor visa. A visa is required only for longer stays — study, work, or joining family — and those routes succeed at some of the highest rates anywhere, with study and skilled-work grants near 99%. Fees, who needs what, and how to apply are below.
UK Visas from Canada
UK Visa & ETA from Canada 2026: Fees, Requirements & Routes
UK Visa and ETA Requirements from Canada 2026
No, not for short visits. Canadian citizens need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), costing £20 and lasting 2 years, for stays of up to 6 months. A full visa is required only for study, work, or family routes. For example, a Canadian student needs a Student visa (C$1,094), and a Canadian taking a UK job needs a Skilled Worker visa (C$1,606).
For most Canadians, UK travel now means an ETA rather than a visa. Canadian passport holders are visa-exempt visitors, so a short trip for tourism, business, or family needs only the £20 authorisation. A visa is required when the purpose goes beyond a visit — studying for a degree, taking a sponsored job, or settling with a partner — and those routes succeed at some of the highest rates of any nationality.
UK Visa Fees from Canada 2026
Where a visa is required, fees are charged in Canadian Dollars during the online application under the 8 April 2026 schedule; most travellers pay only the £20 ETA. The Immigration Health Surcharge applies separately to work, study, and family visas at £1,035 per year, or £776 for students, always in pounds sterling — Health and Care Workers are exempt.
UK visa fees from Canada in Canadian dollars (8 April 2026 schedule)
| Route | Fee (CAD) | Canadian Grant Rate |
|---|---|---|
| ETA (short visits) | £20 | 99.6% issued |
| Student | C$1,094 | >99% |
| Skilled Worker (≤3 years) | C$1,606 | 98% |
| Skilled Worker (over 3 years) | C$3,173 | 98% |
| Health and Care Worker | C$635 | 98% |
| Global Talent (with approval) | C$402 | — |
| Spouse / Partner | C$4,047 | 93% |
| 6-month Visit visa (if required) | C$265 | 82% |
| Priority service | C$980 | — |
Source: Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026 schedule; grant rates year ending June 2026.
Where the Real Cost Sits on Longer Routes
On sponsored routes the health surcharge in pounds is usually the bigger budget line than the dollar fee: a three-year Skilled Worker visa adds £3,105 of surcharge on top of the C$1,606 fee, and a Student visa adds £776 for each year of the course. Only the Health and Care route and the ETA escape the surcharge entirely, and the ETA remains the one flat £20 cost most Canadian travellers ever pay.
UK ETA for Canadians 2026
The ETA is a digital pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, applied for through the UK ETA app. Canada was part of the 2025 expansion of the scheme to visa-free Western nationals. Approval is near-automatic — the scheme's overall issue rate is 99.6% — and most decisions arrive within minutes.
What the ETA Is — and Is Not
It costs £20, lasts 2 years or until the passport expires, and allows multiple visits of up to 6 months for tourism, family visits, business meetings, short courses, and transit. It is not a visa — it authorises travel to the UK border but never permits paid work, long-term study, or settlement. Canadians whose purpose falls outside the visitor rules, or who have a previous refusal or criminal record, should apply for the appropriate visa instead.
From 25 February 2026, Canadians without a valid ETA will not be allowed to board flights to the UK. Airlines must verify ETA status before departure. Apply through the UK ETA app or at gov.uk ahead of travel — most decisions arrive within minutes, but allow up to three working days. The full scheme is explained in our UK ETA guide.
UK Student Visa from Canada 2026
Canada is a strong source of UK university students, and the UK Student visa reflects that with a grant rate above 99% on over 4,000 applications a year. It costs C$1,094 plus the health surcharge at £776 per year, and needs a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) plus maintenance funds of £1,529 per month for London or £1,171 elsewhere.
Most Canadians are exempt from the English requirement as native speakers, though French-first-language applicants may need a test. Graduates can use the Graduate Route for two years of post-study work.
UK Work Visa for Canadians 2026
Canadians taking a UK job need the Skilled Worker visa — C$1,606 for up to three years, or C$3,173 for longer — with a Certificate of Sponsorship and a salary of at least £41,700 or the going rate in the Home Office eligible occupations list. The Canadian work grant rate is 98% on over 5,000 applications a year; healthcare professionals use the Health and Care Worker route at C$635, exempt from the health surcharge.
The Youth Mobility Alternative
Canada is also a Youth Mobility Scheme country, letting Canadians aged 18 to 35 live and work in the UK for up to three years without a sponsor — the only work route that needs no job offer first.
UK Spouse & Family Visa from Canada 2026
The UK Spouse visa costs C$4,047 and lets Canadians join a British or settled partner under Appendix FM, leading to indefinite leave to remain after five years. The sponsor must earn at least £29,000 a year and the couple must prove a genuine relationship. The Canadian family grant rate is 93%, with settlement cases taking up to 12 weeks, or about 6 with priority service.
When Canadians Need a UK Visit Visa
Most Canadians never need a visit visa — the ETA covers ordinary tourism and business. A visit visa becomes necessary only in specific cases: a previous UK refusal, a relevant criminal record, or a visit purpose the ETA does not allow. Where one is required, the 6-month visit visa costs C$265, with long-term options up to C$2,212 for 10 years. Those visiting relatives should understand what a UK host must provide, and anyone previously refused can review our guides to refusal reasons and grant rates by nationality.
How to Apply for a UK Visa or ETA from Canada
Canadians applying for an ETA use the app; those needing a visa apply online at gov.uk and give biometrics or verify identity through the UK Immigration: ID Check app where eligible. The system is the same one used across the Americas, including the United States, which faces the same ETA-or-visa split, and visa-national Colombia. The same split applies to other visa-exempt nationals, including Japan and Australia.
- Short visit: apply for the ETA via the UK ETA app.
- Study, work, or family: complete the online visa application at gov.uk.
- Pay the fee in Canadian Dollars during the application.
- Verify identity via the ID Check app or biometrics where required.
- Upload documents and submit.
- Access your eVisa through your UKVI account once approved.
Standard visa decisions take around 3 weeks, with settlement cases up to 12 weeks; the priority visa service can speed non-settlement decisions. Our guide to processing times after biometrics explains the timelines once identity is verified.
Sources: fees from the Home Office immigration and nationality fees, 8 April 2026 schedule, as charged in Canadian Dollars at visa-fees.homeoffice.gov.uk; ETA rules from the GOV.UK Electronic Travel Authorisation guidance linked above; grant rates and application volumes from the Home Office Immigration System Statistics, year ending June 2026. Figures verified 29 August 2026 against the 8 April 2026 fee schedule.
Frequently Asked
Questions about UK Visas from Canada
No. Canadian citizens are visa-exempt for short visits and need an Electronic Travel Authorisation instead. The ETA costs £20, lasts 2 years, and allows stays of up to 6 months for tourism, business, or family visits. It is applied for through the UK ETA app, usually with a decision in minutes. A full visa is required only for study, work, or settlement.
Under the 8 April 2026 schedule: the ETA for short visits is £20; the Student visa C$1,094; the Skilled Worker visa C$1,606 for up to 3 years or C$3,173 for longer; the Spouse visa C$4,047; and, where required, the visit visa C$265. Visa fees are paid in Canadian Dollars, and work, study, and family routes also require the Immigration Health Surcharge in pounds at £1,035 per year, or £776 for students.
Yes. Canadian students need a UK Student visa costing C$1,094 plus the health surcharge of £776 per year, and a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies from a licensed institution. The Canadian student grant rate is exceptionally high, above 99%, on over 4,000 applications a year. As native English speakers, most Canadians are exempt from the English language test, though French-first-language applicants may need to take one.
Yes, through several routes. The Skilled Worker visa needs a sponsored graduate-level job paying at least £41,700, costs C$1,606, and has a 98% Canadian grant rate. Canadians aged 18 to 35 can also use the Youth Mobility Scheme to live and work in the UK for up to three years without a sponsor. Healthcare professionals use the lower-fee Health and Care Worker route, which is exempt from the health surcharge.
Only in specific situations. The ETA covers ordinary tourism, business, and family visits, so most Canadians never need a visit visa. A visa is required if you have a previous UK refusal, a relevant criminal record, or a visit purpose the ETA does not permit. In those cases the 6-month visit visa costs C$265, with long-term options up to C$2,212 for 10 years, and the Canadian visit-visa grant rate is 82%.
Yes. Canada joined the scheme in the 2025 expansion, and from 25 February 2026 the ETA is strictly enforced at boarding — airlines will not carry Canadian passengers without an approved ETA or visa. It costs £20, is linked to your passport, and covers multiple visits over 2 years. Apply through the UK ETA app before booking travel; most decisions arrive within minutes, but allow up to three working days.
On the ETA, up to 6 months per visit, with multiple visits allowed across its 2-year validity — though the UK must remain a place of visit rather than residence. Visitors cannot work or claim public funds. For longer stays, Canadians use the Student, Skilled Worker, Youth Mobility, or family routes, several of which lead to settlement after five years of continuous residence.
It depends on their passport, not their Canadian residence. The UK assesses entry by nationality: a permanent resident of Canada holding a visa-exempt passport needs only the £20 ETA, while one holding a visa-national passport — India, Pakistan, China, Nigeria, and others — needs a full UK visitor visa at C$265, exactly as if applying from their home country. Canadian residence and employment can strengthen that visa application by evidencing ties.
An ETA is usually decided within minutes, though up to three working days is possible. For visas, standard processing is around 3 weeks for study and work applications, and up to 12 weeks for settlement and family visas. The priority service returns a non-settlement decision in about 5 working days where offered. Visa timelines run from identity verification, either biometrics or the ID Check app, not from the online submission.
Non. Pour les courts séjours, les citoyens canadiens n'ont besoin que d'une autorisation de voyage électronique (ETA) : 20 £, valide 2 ans, pour des séjours allant jusqu'à 6 mois. Depuis le 25 février 2026, l'embarquement sans ETA valide est refusé. Le travail, les études de longue durée et l'installation exigent toutefois un visa complet.
L'ETA coûte 20 £. Pour les visas complets : visa étudiant 1 094 $ CA, visa de travail Skilled Worker (jusqu'à 3 ans) 1 606 $ CA et visa de conjoint 4 047 $ CA, payés en dollars canadiens lors de la demande en ligne. Les visas de travail, d'études et de famille comportent aussi la surtaxe santé (IHS), payée en livres sterling.