06 October 2009

Canada not planning to lift Canadian visa requirement for Czechs

The new Canadian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Valerie Raymond, recently said that is not at present planning to lift the Canadian visa requirement for Czech tourists.

Raymond said that Canada's ultimate goal is to re-establish visa-free travel for the Czech Republic but for the time being they do not intend to lift the Canadian visa requirement.

"Perhaps I can step back and say that the reason for imposing the visa requirement was because of a very large and growing number of asylum claimants. What will be very important as we look to the future is to be assured that this will not happen again," Raymond said.

A Czech national who wants to travel to Canada for tourism purposes must now apply for a Canadian visa in Vienna in person, by mail, courier or through a travel agent, or may submit the application at the Canadian embassy in Prague.

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