COVID-19: Financial help if you are outside Canada

The Government of Canada created the COVID-19 Emergency Loan Program for Canadians Abroad as a temporary financial assistance program to help Canadians travelling outside Canada to return home or to shelter in place while they arrange to return to Canada.

You can apply for an emergency repayable loan if you have no other available source of funds to return home, such as:

• credit cards
• banks
• insurance providers
• money transfers from friends and family

To be eligible to apply, you must:

• be outside Canada
• be a Canadian citizen (Canadian permanent residents may be eligible in some instances. Please review the FAQs for more information on eligibility)
• have no available source of funds
• have had plans in place to return to Canada before COVID-19 that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic

This emergency repayable loan of up to $5,000 will cover your short-term needs while you work toward returning home and the costs of your travel back to Canada. Each application is assessed according to the applicant’s specific situation and needs.

How to apply

Please review the Frequently asked questions page for information on eligibility criteria and eligible costs.

If you are outside Canada, are eligible, and need financial assistance, contact the nearest Government of Canada office or Global Affairs Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa at +1 613-996-8885 (call collect where available) or CAN.finances.CV19@international.gc.ca.

You may be asked to provide copies of the following documents to show that you had clear plans to return to Canada before COVID-19:

• a confirmed travel itinerary
• a temporary visa for a foreign country (tourism, business, student, work) with a clear end date

How to repay the loan

If you have received a COVID-19 emergency loan, an invoice and instructions on how to repay it will be sent to the email address you used in your application.

This loan must be paid back to Global Affairs Canada. We will take collection measures if you have not repaid the loan within 180 days of the invoice date.

Related links

• Frequently asked questions - COVID-19 Emergency Loan Program for Canadians Abroad
• COVID-19: Your safety and security outside Canada
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Travel restrictions, exemptions and advice
• Pandemic COVID-19 travel health notice