Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for Canada

If you’re travelling from a visa-exempt country, you’ll require an electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) in order to enter. You can quickly and easily apply for an eTA online for a cost of only CAD$7. While eTAs are often granted in a matter of minutes, it can take several days, so you should always apply ahead of time.

Notably, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents of the U.S. are exempt from the eTA requirement.

Once your eTA is approved, it will be valid for five years or until your passport expires. There are a number of exemptions where an eTA will not be required. These include:

• Visitors arriving by land or sea.
• Those with permanent residency – however, they will need to travel with their permanent resident card.
• Citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States.
• Travellers with a valid Canada visa.
• Passengers on a flight that, because of an emergency or other unforeseen circumstances, makes an unscheduled stop in Canada.

What is a visa-exempt country? Canada requires citizens of certain countries to apply for a visa in order to enter. However, many countries are visa-exempt, meaning that citizens can enter Canada without an official visa. Here’s a breakdown by country:

eTA fees and application process

The eTA is an additional requirement that air passengers will need to follow – meaning they will still be required to show their passport and follow all existing documents and identification rules.

Accepted payment methods for the CAD$7 fee include credit cards and debit cards.

The application should only take a few minutes, and an eTA will usually be granted a few minutes later. IRCC advises that last-minute applications, while not recommended, are possible and can be made on any device with an internet connection, including mobile phones.

Since launching the eTA requirement in 2016, Canada has issued more than 4 million eTAs annually in an average year.

• To apply for an eTA, and for more information, you can visit the IRCC website.