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Welcome to this post where we detail all the requirements for traveling to Canada from Spain within our super guide to traveling to Canada.

This time we're going to try to summarize everything you should know before traveling to the second largest country in the world , after Russia, and the country that has 60% of the world's lakes . Not even all the other countries combined would have more lakes!

A super safe country full of unspoiled wilderness . They say it's one of the best places in the world to live.

An easy country to move around in and easy to access, although as in all places outside the European Union, there are many things to keep in mind that, as I will try to detail here, you should do before setting off on your trip to Canada.

Have a valid passport

The first thing on your checklist for traveling to Canada should be to check that your passport is valid for the days you will be flying both outbound and inbound.

In Canada, your Spanish passport doesn't need to be valid for six months before your trip ; it only needs to be valid at the time of each flight. Anything else you read on other blogs is incorrect.

 The official information from the Canadian government states this for those of us who are Spanish nationals. If you are from another country, you should look carefully at this information.

Our son's vaccine was due in 4 months and there was no problem, but as I say, for Spaniards and those from the European Union.

Processing the eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization) the electronic visa: one of the requirements to travel to Canada from Spain or Europe

During the month before your trip, remember to check that your passport is valid. Then you'll need to apply for an eTA, the fast-track electronic visa, which you can obtain on the official Canadian government website. It's easy to apply yourself; the general information is even available in Spanish, although the application process is only available in English or French, which you can translate using the Google Translate web plugin if needed.

It is a fast electronic visa for Spanish and European citizens flying to Canada for tourism and is valid for a maximum of 6 months.

It costs $7 and it's very easy to do on the official Canadian government eTA website.

Taking out travel medical insurance for Canada

Canada is spectacular, but… it's a very wild place, so before you continue planning your route, the first thing you should do is buy travel medical insurance, which is mandatory according to the Canadian embassy website! Oh, and if you want it to include cancellation and refunds for your flights, remember to do it before buying your tickets or at least five days after purchasing them ! Keep this tip in mind because it's important.

AN IMPORTANT TIP: Don't travel to Canada without a good travel insurance, avoid big problems. It is one of the first requirements that they tell you on the Canadian government website along with the processing of the And so.
We recommend you the Iati Star We hired this insurance after a good comparison and study of the different ones on the market. It is the only one that exceeds one million euros of coverage. Without a doubt, it is the best for North America, where breaking a leg costs you €150.000, as happened to a friend of ours in the USA. Another positive thing is that Iati has an app for virtual visits.
I leave you here a link where you have a 5% off for any Iati travel insurance.

Buy a plug adapter for Canada

Before you leave, remember to bring your Canadian plug adapter ; it's the same type as the one used in the United States. It uses flat prongs , the type A and B outlets , and operates at 120V and 60Hz.

We have had this one for years, it has a lot in one and it works great.

In short, if you are going to need to plug something in in Canada (mobile, laptop, travel hairdryer...), this is one of the requirements for travelling to Canada from Spain or Europe, where we have other plugs.

For your safety, register as a traveler to Canada to receive alerts from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Register as a traveler so that in case of emergency or alert, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs can locate you and inform you of emergency warnings such as hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes, or others. It is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended. You can do so here: https://registroviajeros.exteriores.gob.es/

Additionally, check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website for travel alerts regarding Canada: https://www.exteriores.gob.es/es/ServiciosAlCiudadano/Paginas/Detalle-recomendaciones-de-viaje.aspx?trc=Canad%C3%A1

If there is any warning of a hurricane, flood, earthquake or something, it will be here.

Download the Alertable App for emergency alerts in Canada

A must-have for safety in Canada is to download the official Alertable app or visit their website regularly to see all of Canada's emergency alerts.

In our case, it was very useful when traveling during the summer, which is fire season . There, wildfires are a major issue, no small matter. They can become very large at the slightest provocation, and evacuation alerts are issued for the towns. During our trip, we witnessed the evacuation and closure of Jasper National Park, in the northern Canadian Rockies. We were unable to visit the park during our journey.

Besides fire alerts, there are also storm alerts and even warnings of poor air quality.

In short, if you are going to travel to Canada, this is one of the requirements for traveling to Canada from Spain or wherever to have peace of mind during your trip to Canada.

Apply for an international driving license if you are going to drive in Canada

To drive in Canada, you'll need an International Driving Permit , which you must request from the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic) before you go. I've already explained how to apply for it on the DGT's online website . Otherwise, check the checklist above.

It's easy, you go to the DGT's Electronic Headquarters website and process it electronically through the electronic registry by entering with your electronic certificate or PIN code, paying the issuance fee which is approximately 11 euros.

Once you've done this, you must go to the DGT (Spanish Traffic Authority) office two business days later to pick up your International Driving Permit. Go to the office you indicated on your application and bring a photo of your driver's license. You don't need an appointment to pick up the permit, but they will give you a number there, and be prepared for a queue.

In short, if you are going to drive in Canada, this is one of the requirements for traveling to Canada from Spain or Europe.

Buy a data card to have internet on your mobile if you need GPS 

In Canada you won't have the European roaming that we are so used to, and there roaming can cost you an arm and a leg.

In short, buying a data card is one of the requirements for travelling to Canada from Spain or wherever you are if you are going to need to use GPS or connect to the internet.

Either you buy a data SIM card to have internet access there , or you won't be able to use your mobile phone in Canada, which I don't recommend. You'll need internet for GPS navigation and a thousand other things, so what I recommend is doing what we did: buying a couple of SIM cards for Canada. You can easily install them before you go, all from Spain, and have internet access from the airport in Canada.

TIP FOR GETTING INTERNET IN CANADA: Internet is essential in Canada, although coverage outside of towns leaves much to be desired—I'll tell you that right now! We used a Holafly SIM card with unlimited data and it worked great. You can buy it with a 5% DISCOUNT through this link.

Planning your route and booking accommodation in advance is a requirement for travelling to Canada with peace of mind

I believe this already happens in all countries and tourist places, but I would also like to emphasize how essential it is to plan your route and book accommodation as far in advance as possible.

If you're traveling to National Parks, not only is accommodation within the park scarce, but the fewer options there are, the more expensive they are. So, here's a tip: do as we did and book your accommodation well in advance with cancellation included , in case you need to make changes later and cancel without incurring any costs.

Have a card that does not charge you commissions for currency exchange

The best thing about this section is that you should know the Canadian dollar is weaker than the euro, and everything will cost you around 30-40% less right now. One Canadian dollar currently costs you around 0,66 euro cents.

In Canada, you can pay for everything with a card, so we recommend that you take out very little cash on the first day and then always pay with a card and in dollars to get the best deal possible.

We do recommend bringing cash, because in many places you'll find that you pay in cash by dropping it in a box —for honesty, as they say there. For example, to rent a canoe on a lake, there might not be anyone around or an office, just a drop box and a sign asking for cash payment.

Regarding cards, it's a whole new world, each one charges you what they want in commissions, exchange rates and cash withdrawals.

We recommend the Evo Smart Account card , which we've had since it was Nova Caixa Galicia. It has zero fees for everything worldwide, but you need to have your salary or a minimum monthly income deposited into that account. Alternatively, you could consider the Revolut card . This card can be easily activated online in minutes and allows unlimited top-ups, so you can pay at the best exchange rate with zero fees. The only downside we see is that you can only withdraw a maximum of €200 per month from ATMs without a fee. Otherwise, it's one of the best fee-free cards for traveling the world.

Suitcase for traveling to Canada in summer: what to pack in your suitcase 

Below, I detail our luggage for 21 days in Canada in August and early September and what we advise you to bring on your trip.

Above all, remember that the best thing to do when trekking in the mountains due to the Rocky Mountain tick is to always wear long pants, closed shoes, and socks.

Clothes per person (we will wash by hand during the route what is necessary, it is better to travel light based on experience):

• 3 complete changes of long technical summer mountain trousers + short-sleeved T-shirt 
• 2 changes of shorts + short t-shirts 
• 5 changes of underwear and socks
• 2 fleece or long-sleeved sweatshirt-type jackets
• 1 light down jacket, the kind that folds into a Decathlon bag 
• 1 cap
• 1 raincoat
• 1 flip flops
• 1 swimsuit
• 1 microfiber bathrobe
• 1 Gore-tex trekking shoes
• Toiletry bag with solid soap and bamboo toothbrush to be sustainable

Things we carry in addition to clothing that are the result of experience and very useful on our motorhome trips:

• Canada plug adapter
• Small Italian coffee maker + a packet of ground coffee, if you are a coffee drinker like us and you are going to campsites, bungalows or apartments like us.
• Foldable memory foam travel pillow, if you have trouble sleeping on those thin pillows from Ikea, which is what they will give you in the rental motorhome. Also, it is useful for the plane, which low-cost airlines do not provide.
• A couple of small travel blankets, for the cold-blooded people in the house and for the plane, which low-cost airlines don't provide. 
• 2 extendable skewers for barbecues and making marshmallows 
• 1 multi-purpose knife with a whistle for the mountains and a compass if possible
• 1 lighter to light the barbecues
• Mosquito repellent
• Sunscreen

Above all, keep in mind that the following items are not allowed in your luggage on the plane to Canada: Fresh foods such as fruits, cold cuts, meats or fish, and also dangerous products such as antibacterial sprays, which you cannot take back with you if you buy one.

Book a motorhome or camper in advance

Of course, if you are going to travel to Canada and you are a family like us or you like flexibility and nature, I recommend that you book a motorhome or camper well in advance, as we did, so that it costs you as little as possible. Travelling to Canada in a motorhome is the cheapest option for accommodation and food for a family of 4, as well as giving flexibility to the trip and being able to enjoy nature more.

When booking the motorhome, keep in mind that if you can travel outside of the high season, the rental costs can be almost half of what they are in the high season. If I could have, we would have traveled in April and not in August, as we did due to the price and the people we met, so keep that in mind.

TIP: If you want to do this road trip through Canada in a campervan like we did, we recommend renting one. We suggest doing so in Calgary or Vancouver with Roadsurfer , a company we would definitely use again. Roadsurfer gave us a $ 150 discount that you, as readers, can also take advantage of by applying the DISCOUNT CODE: KUCAVANAAMERICA

Conclusions on the requirements for travelling to Canada from Spain

This is all the information that we can provide you with based on our experience regarding the requirements for travelling to Canada. A super guide to requirements that we hope will be of support in your travel planning.

I hope this article has helped you and if it has, please the best way to thank us is to comment below and write to us on social media to tell us about it, remember.

Good route friends!