Visas
In order to enter Canada to attend Wikimania 2017, you may need a visa or a Electronic Travel Authorization prior to entry.
- Apply online for an Electronic Travel Authorization
- Apply online for a visa
- Find a visa application centre
While it is ultimately the responsibility of each conference attendee to determine what visa they should apply for and provide the necessary documentation, the Wikimedia Foundation suggests that most applicants apply for a tourist visa, since other visas require specific documents that the WMF cannot provide. Please see below for more information on those documents.
Supporting Documents for Visa Application
The Canadian government may ask visa applicants for supporting documents to be included with their application. While this is not an exhaustive list, your visa application's chance of success could be helped by providing documentation such as:
- Travel itinerary with flight information
- Confirmation of conference registration
- Confirmation of hotel booking
- Evidence you can support yourself financially while in Canada
- Evidence of current employment or enrollment in education in home country
- An invitation letter from the Wikimedia Foundation (see below)
If you are attending Wikimania 2017 and require a visa, the Wikimedia Foundation can provide you with a letter to support your visa application, as noted above. However, please note that beyond providing a supporting letter, the Wikimedia Foundation is unable to influence the visa application process.
If you require a supporting letter, please contact [email protected].
When writing to request a supporting letter, you must include your full name, home address, and passport number in your email. If you know the address of your visa application centre and/or the name of a Canadian official you have been dealing with, please include that as well.
If you are a WMF Scholarship recipient who requires a supporting letter, please state that you are a scholarship recipient in your request.
For all visa requests, we strongly recommend that you start the process as early as possible, in order to leave enough time prior your departure, as Canadian visas may take a long time to be approved.