Go, but pay attention.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Canada
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go, but pay attention.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
TTC Fare Pretext
Beggars in Toronto may approach you claiming they need money for transit fare. Simply decline the request.
Squeegee Kids
Individuals may approach stopped vehicles at intersections to clean windshields for money. This activity is illegal and can be reported to the police.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Illegal Border Crossing
Entering the United States from Canada at an unmarked border location can result in lengthy interrogation and potential jail time.
Squeegee Interference
Soliciting money for cleaning windshields while traffic is stopped is expressly illegal under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Hepatitis A in Canada
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Measles, Rabies
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
Canada requires that any foreign citizen wishing to enter must obtain a temporary resident visa from one of the Canadian diplomatic missions unless they hold a passport issued by one of the 54 eligible visa-exempt countries and territories or proof of permanent residence in Canada or the United States.
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Canada. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals. You should remain aware of your surroundings, keep up to date with local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities. Recent attacks include: in 2023, one person stabbed and injured in Surrey, British Columbia in 2021, 4 people killed and one injured by a vehicle in London, Ontario See the Canadian government’s national terrorism threat level .
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Safety in Canada is not usually a problem, and some basic common sense will go a long way.
- •If you travel near the Canadian-U.S.
- •Policing: Police in Canada are usually hardworking, honest, and trustworthy individuals.
- •There are three main types of police forces in Canada: federal, provincial and municipal.
- •In their capacity as a federal police force, RCMP officers typically wear regular police uniforms and drive police cruisers while performing their duties.…
Staying healthy
- •You are unlikely to face health problems here that you wouldn't face in any other Western industrialized country (despite claims of inferior care, which often varies by hospital and is usually exaggerated).
- •In the summers of the late 2000s and early 2010s, Canadians in some provinces (Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta) have faced a few cases of West Nile virus, an occasionally fatal infection transmitted by mosquitoes.
- •Most Canadian provinces have banned all indoor smoking in public places such as hospitals and schools and near entrances.
- •Food preparation: Canada has quite high standards for restaurant and grocer cleanliness.
- •Health care: Health care in Canada is generally of a standard comparable to other Western nations.
- •Compared to the United States, medical care in Canada is about 30-60% less expensive.…
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
A / B · 120V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 911 / ambulance: 911 / fire: 911
Tipping
Tipping in Canada is similar to that in the United States due to the close cultural nature of the two countries but tends to be somewhat lower because of higher minimum wages. Restaurant wait staff in Canada typically receive 15–18% on the before-tax total. Tipping is not appropriate in cafeterias, fast food establishments and takeaway stands. One is not normally expected to tip hotel housekeeping
SIM / Data
Canada is part of the North American Numbering Plan (along with the US and most of the Caribbean) and uses the country code +1. Area codes and local phone numbers follow the same format as the United States: 1 — three digit area code — seven-digit local phone number. The leading '1' is omitted when making local landline calls and optional on local mobile calls. For long-distance calls,
Cash vs. Card
Credit/debit cards are widely accepted, with Visa and MasterCard being accepted in most places, and American Express somewhat less frequently. Discover and Diner's Club are usually accepted at places geared towards foreign tourists such as hotels and car rental agencies. UnionPay and JCB cards are sometimes accepted in larger stores and tourist areas, particularly those aimed at Asian tourists. Un
Zoom in
34 Canada cities on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (8 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-09-09
- reddit — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09