The differences in visa requirements between Canada and its neighbouring countries is often a source of confusion for South Korea and Latvia citizens who want to visit Canada.
What does it take to get a Canada Visa?
To get a CANADA VISA FOR SOUTH KOREA CITIZENS, you will need to meet a few requirements. First, you must have a valid passport from your country of origin. Second, you must have an invitation letter from a Canadian official or institution. Finally, you will need to show that you have enough money to support yourself while in Canada and that you will not be a financial burden on the Canadian government.
Visa Requirements for South Korea and Latvia
If you are planning to visit South Korea, or Latvia, your visa requirements will depend on your nationality. Please see the individual country pages for more information: South Korea:
For nationals of most countries, a tourist visa is sufficient for a stay of up to 30 days. However, some nationalities (e.g. citizens of China, India, Russia) require an invitation letter from the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to be granted a tourist visa. If you are not a national of one of the countries listed above and do not have an invitation letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you may be able to obtain a temporary visitor visa at a Korean embassy or consulate in your home country. Please check with the respective embassy or consulate for more information.
If you are planning to stay longer than 30 days in South Korea or Latvia, you will need to apply for a residence visa. Visas can take up to two months to process so please plan ahead. Some nationalities (e.g. United States citizens) are exempt from having to apply for a residence visa and can instead stay indefinitely on a tourist visa if they meet certain conditions (such as having visited South Korea or Latvia at least twice before). Again, please consult your nearest Korean embassy or consulate for more information on this subject. CANADA VISA FOR LATVIA CITIZENS
What are the visa requirements for other countries?
For Canadians travelling to South Korea, a visa is not required for tourists who are citizens of countries that do not require a visa for travel to South Korea. For Canadian citizens travelling to Latvia, a visa is required for tourists who are citizens of countries that do not require a visa for travel to Latvia.
How long do Canadian Visas take to process?
Due to the close proximity of both Canada and South Korea, many people traveling between the two countries apply for a Canadian visa instead of a South Korean one. This is due to the shorter processing time for Canadian visas as compared to South Korean visas.
Canadian visas can take anywhere from three to six weeks to process, depending on the age and occupation of the applicant.
The requirements for a Canadian visa are very similar to those of a South Korean visa, with only a few minor exceptions. For example, Canadians must have a valid passport and proof of citizenship in their home country.
If you are planning on visiting Canada, be sure to check out our full list of Canadian visa requirements here.