News report | | 11/02/2026 | ±1 minute reading time

The Canadian authorities have anounced that as of January 28, 2026, Visa Application Centres in Russia will no longer accept documents nor physical visa applications. No official reasons have been given for this.

Physical visa applications for Canada from Russia

Until 28 January 2026, travellers could apply for a physical visa for Canada at one of the VFS Global visa centres in Russia. However, at the end of January, it was announced at the VFS Global website that no more documents or applications would be accepted. At the moment it is not known how long this measure will remain in place.

VFS Global has several offices in Russia: in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don and Yekaterinburg. Until recently it was possible to submit applicatins for physical visas there. VFS Global offices can still collect biometric data. Travellers who want to apply for a Canadian visa from Russia need to visit a VFS Global office in another country.

European travellers can travel with an eTA

British and European travellers are eligible for the eTA Canada. Read more about the requirements for the Canada eTA. Officially, the eTA is not a visa, but a mandatory travel authorisation. Travellers who are eligible for the eTA can travel to Canada for tourism, business or for a stopover without a visa.

You can apply for your eTA online at e-Visa.co.uk. You don't need to go to the Canadian Embassy or an application centre for this. In order to submit an application, you only need to fill in a short application form. You don't need to upload any photographs to apply for your ETA.

Once your application has been submitted, you will probably obtain your eTA within an average of 3 days. If you need your eTA Canada urgently, you can submit an urgent application. Urgent applications are usually approved within 45 minutes on average. The eTA is valid for up to 5 years and allows you to travel to Canada an unlimited number of times. Each stay may last up to 6 months.

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e-Visa.co.uk is a commercial and professional visa agency, and supports travellers in obtaining, among others, the eTA Canada. e-Visa.co.uk is an official partner of the International Air Transport Association, IATA, with membership number 57231226, acts as an intermediary, is no law firm, nor does it employ lawyers, does not provide legal advice, and is in no way part of any government. You can also apply for a eTA directly with the immigration service (7 CAD per eTA, via onlineservices-servicesenligne.cic.gc.ca). However, not with our level of support. If you submit your application via e-Visa.co.uk, our support centre is available to you 24/7. We also check your application before submitting it to the immigration authorities on your behalf. If we suspect any errors or omissions while doing so, we will personally contact you to ensure that your application can still be processed quickly and correctly. To use our services, you pay us 7 CAD in consular fees, which we pay to the immigration service on your behalf, as well as £26.17 in service fees as compensation for our services, including VAT. Our services have saved many travellers from major problems during their trip. Should an application be rejected despite our support and verification, we will refund the full purchase price (unless an application for a previous Canada eTA was rejected for the same traveller). Read more about our services here.