No need for holiday visas to Canada

ONLY Namibians intending to travel to Canada for more than 90 days for purposes such as work or study require visas for entry to that country, and not those planning to travel to the north American country for a holiday.

Confusion recently emerged around the need for visas for people travelling to Canada, as some people were told by travel agents in Windhoek that they now require visas.Valery Yiptong, public affairs officer for the High Commission of Canada in South Africa, says Namibian citizens travelling to Canada on holiday are visa exempt.The issue emerged last year when The Namibian reported that Air Namibia has warned its passengers travelling to Canada that they will be subjected to a thorough assessment to ensure that they meet all requirements for travel to the north American country.Namibia is one of three countries in Africa whose passport holders do not require a visa when visiting Canada for tourism purposes for no longer that three months. However, Namibian passport holders who intend to stay in Canada for longer than three months, be it for work, study or an extended stay, do require a visa before travelling.Last year Air Namibia said it was informed by the Canadian government of a significant increase in the number of Namibian nationals travelling to Toronto seeking asylum.For the period from January to September last year, Namibia was listed as the third largest source of applications for asylum in Canada.’These passengers travelling to Canada have intended to reside, or work, or study in Canada and, being without the appropriate visa, they are not properly documented for travel,’ read a statement from Air Namibia. International immigration and border control laws require that every international airline is obliged to ensure that all its passengers meet the entry requirements of the country they are travelling to. ‘Failure to ensure compliance can result in the carrier being subjected to penalties or fines from the respective country,’ Air Namibia has said.As a result, Air Namibia decided to carefully assess all Namibian passport holders travelling to Canada, and the national airline has said that this assessment will be carried out with the assistance of the Canadian government.In a statement that Air Namibia sent out to local travel agents in December, the national airline said people intending to travel to Canada need to obtain ‘clearance / authorisation’ to travel from the Canadian High Commission in South Africa.’’It should be emphasised that Namibians seeking to travel to Canada for tourism purposes must be determined to be bona fide visitors,’ read the statement from Air Namibia.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.

The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.