Canadians planning a trip to the European Union this summer may be required to get a visa if a dispute over the way Canada treats some EU citizens isn’t resolved by then. Visas are generally used to control the flow of people into a country and to prevent unwanted visitors, and Canada exempts dozens of countries from its visa requirements, including most EU member states.
However, Canada still requires nationals from Bulgaria and Romania — both EU members — to obtain visas before they travel here, resulting in a simmering dispute that threatens to boil over just as the summer travel season kicks into high gear.
According to the European Travel Commission, more than 30 million tourists from Canada and the U.S. visit Europe each year, spending more than US$54 billion.
A spokesman for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said the country is “committed to working towards visa-free travel for all EU citizens,” and is making the visa application process easier for Romanian and Bulgarian business travellers and those who have visited Canada in the past 10 years.
“Canadian officials in Ottawa and Brussels have and continue to be heavily engaged in a very positive, ongoing dialogue with Romania, Bulgaria and the European Commission on this issue,” department spokesman Remi Larivière said in an email.
Air Canada did not immediately reply to a request for comment on how EU visa requirements could impact travel demand.
The European Commission has asked the European Parliament and Council to share their views on what should be done by July 12 at the latest.
“Full visa reciprocity will stay high on the agenda of our bilateral relations with these countries, and we will continue pursuing a balanced and fair outcome,” said Dimitris Avramopoulos, Europe’s commissioner of home affairs, migration and citizenship.
