Transit visa for Vancouver International (YVR): do you need one?
Canada has no visa-free airside transit for most travellers. Changing planes at Vancouver needs a transit visa, an eTA or neither, depending on your passport. Two programmes let some passengers travelling to or from the United States connect without either.
Quick answer
If your passport needs a visa for Canada, you need a Canadian transit visa to connect at YVR (for a transit of 48 hours or less), unless you qualify for the Transit Without Visa or China Transit programme. If your passport needs an eTA, you need an eTA even to change planes. US citizens and US lawful permanent residents need neither.
The rules at Vancouver International
Visa-required passports
You need a transit visa if you are from a visa-required country and your international flight stops in Canada on its way to another country, or you are connecting between two international flights in Canada, and your transit lasts 48 hours or less. [2]
eTA-required passports
You need an eTA to transit through Canada by air if you are from an eTA-required country. [1]
US citizens and US permanent residents
US citizens and lawful permanent residents of the US can transit Canada by air without a visa or an eTA; they only need the right travel documents. [1]
Transit Without Visa (TWOV)
Holders of passports from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, or Taiwan (a passport without a personal identification number) can connect without a Canadian visa when flying to or from the United States, if they hold a valid US visa, fly with Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, Air China, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Hainan Airlines, Jazz Air, Philippine Airlines, WestJet or Xiamen Airlines, stay in the airport, and leave Canada within 24 hours. Vancouver International is a participating airport. [3]
China Transit Program (CTP)
Holders of a People's Republic of China passport with a valid US visa can connect without a Canadian visa on the way to the US if they depart from Beijing, Chengdu, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Harbin, Hong Kong, Manila, Nagoya, Osaka, Seoul, Shanghai, Shenyang, Taipei, Tokyo or Xiamen, fly with a participating airline, and leave Canada within 24 hours. Vancouver International is a participating airport. [4]
Longer than 48 hours, or leaving the airport
A transit visa does not cover a transit longer than 48 hours or a visit to Canada; for either you need a visitor visa (visa-required passports) or an eTA (eTA-required passports). [2]
Do I need a transit visa at Vancouver International? Answers by passport
Indian passport
Yes. India is a visa-required country for Canada, so a connection at YVR of 48 hours or less needs a Canadian transit visa unless you already hold a valid Canadian visitor visa. [5]
Nigerian passport
Yes. Nigeria is a visa-required country for Canada; a connection at YVR of 48 hours or less needs a Canadian transit visa unless you already hold a valid Canadian visitor visa. [5]
Pakistani passport
Yes. Pakistan is a visa-required country for Canada; a connection at YVR of 48 hours or less needs a Canadian transit visa unless you already hold a valid Canadian visitor visa. [5]
Filipino passport
Not if you qualify for Transit Without Visa: flying to or from the US with a valid US visa, on a participating airline, staying in the airport and leaving within 24 hours. Otherwise the Philippines is visa-required for Canada, although IRCC says some Philippine citizens may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements — check before you book. [3]
Chinese (PRC) passport
Not if you qualify for the China Transit Program: a valid US visa, a flight to the US leaving Canada within 24 hours, departure from a listed Asian city and a participating airline. Otherwise you need a transit visa. [4]
British, Australian or EU passport
You need an eTA to change planes at YVR, not a visa. [1]
US passport
No. US citizens (and US lawful permanent residents) can connect at YVR without a visa or an eTA. [1]
Sources
- IRCC — Transit through Canada — updated 2 Jun 2025; checked 1 Oct 2026.
- IRCC — Transit visa: who can apply — updated 6 Jul 2026; checked 1 Oct 2026.
- IRCC — Transit Without Visa Program eligibility — updated 28 Sept 2023; checked 1 Oct 2026.
- IRCC — China Transit Program eligibility — updated 17 Jul 2026; checked 1 Oct 2026.
- IRCC — Entry requirements by country or territory — updated 31 Jul 2026; checked 1 Oct 2026.
Transit rules change. Check with your airline and the official source before you fly.
Long layover in Vancouver?
What you can fit in, and how to get back to YVR on time →
Getting into Vancouver from YVR
Trains, buses and taxis from the airport →
Search flights to Vancouver (YVR)
Compare fares on Trip.com
Hotels in Vancouver for a long layover or stopover
Hotels, hostels & more · Trip.com
Stay connected in Canada
Get an eSIM before you fly — instant activation, no roaming bills
Compare all eSIMs →