Canada drops visa requirement for eligible citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia

Eligible travelers can apply for an electronic travel authorization instead of a visa starting May 26, 2026

Canada will drop the visa requirement for eligible citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia, allowing qualifying travelers to apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) instead of a temporary resident visa (TRV) when flying to the country.

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website announced the changes on May 25, 2026. The changes are set to take effect on May 26, 2026, at 5:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Prior to this change, citizens of both countries were required to obtain a visa prior to travel, which could take several weeks or months.

Who is eligible

Indonesian and Malaysian citizens can apply for an eTA if they are traveling to or transiting through Canada by air and meet one of the following conditions at the time of application: they held a Canadian temporary resident visa at any point in the last 10 years, or they currently hold a valid US non-immigrant visa.

IRCC considers this group "known" travelers because Canadian or US immigration services have already vetted them. A TRV encompasses visas associated with Canadian work or study permits as well as previously held visitor visas.

Other citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia who do not meet these conditions still need a visitor visa to enter Canada by air. A visitor visa is also still required for anyone traveling to Canada by car, bus, train, or boat, regardless of whether they meet the eTA conditions.

Indonesian and Malaysian nationals who already hold a valid TRV can continue to use it to enter Canada until it expires, or until their passport expires, whichever comes first. They do not need to switch to an eTA immediately.

Part of Indo-Pacific Strategy

The change is part of Canada's broader Indo-Pacific Strategy, which aims to strengthen trade, investment, and people-to-people ties across the region. Indonesia and Malaysia are key economic partners for Canada in Southeast Asia.

Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab announced the changes as part of ongoing efforts to diversify Canada's trade relationships while maintaining border security. In 2025 alone, Canada welcomed a reported 18,300 visitors from Indonesia and 11,500 visitors from Malaysia.

Recent eTA expansions

Canada has expanded eTA eligibility several times in recent years. In November 2025, IRCC lifted visa requirements entirely for Qatari citizens, granting them full visa-free access. Unlike the May 26 visa exemption for Indonesian and Malaysian nationals, all Qatari citizens qualified for those travel provisions.

The changes for Indonesian and Malaysian citizens more closely resemble an extension of the conditional eTA program, which sets out specific eligibility criteria for nationals from select countries. In June 2023, Canada added 13 countries, including the Philippines, Thailand, Argentina, and Morocco, under the same previously screened criteria, now extended to Indonesia and Malaysia.