Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for Canada

An electronic travel authorization (eTA) is an entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals who travel to Canada by air. It is linked electronically to your passport, so there is nothing to print. The airline scans your passport at check-in, and without a valid eTA you cannot board. The rules are in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), sections 7.01, 7.1 and 12.04 to 12.08.

The most common misunderstanding is that an eTA is a right to enter. It is not. When you arrive, a border services officer checks your passport and documents and decides whether to admit you. An eTA also does not let you work or study. Another common problem is a typing error: if the passport number on the form is wrong, you may not be able to fly.

Fee per person

$7

Longest validity

5 years

Visa-required countries in the expanded eTA

17

When IRCC emails if a file needs more review

72 hours

1. April 26, 2022

   US permanent residents exempted

   Lawful permanent residents of the United States no longer need an eTA. They must carry a valid green card and, at least when flying, a valid passport.

2. May 26, 2026

   Indonesia and Malaysia added

   Canada partially lifted the visa requirement for both countries by adding them to the expanded eTA program. They remain visa-required countries.

The expanded eTA covers citizens of Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines, Seychelles, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay (IRPR section 7.01). Indonesia and Malaysia were added on May 26, 2026. IRCC's separate eTA-X web page, last updated October 30, 2026, still leaves them out, but the regulation and IRCC's entry requirements page include them. You can apply only if you meet all 3 conditions:

• Flying on that passportYou are flying to or transiting through a Canadian airport on a valid passport from one of these countries
• Temporary stayYou are coming for a temporary stay, normally up to 6 months
• Visa historyYou held a Canadian visitor visa at any time in the 10 years before you apply, or you hold a valid US nonimmigrant visa on the day you apply. The US visa does not need to be valid on the day you travel.

If your valid US visa is in a different passport, apply with the passport you will travel on, explain this in the background questions and give the number of the passport that holds the US visa. Both passports must be from an eligible country. IRCC recommends bringing the old passport with your expired Canadian visa or your US visa when you fly. If family members travelling with you do not qualify, they need visas.

You must also meet the basic entry requirements: a valid passport, good health, no criminal or immigration-related convictions, ties that will take you home, a plan to leave at the end of your visit and enough money for your stay.

1. 1

   Use the official site only

   Apply only on the Government of Canada's eTA page. The government fee is $7. IRCC warns travellers about eTA scams.

2. 2

   Get ready

   Have your passport, a credit or debit card and an email address. The form cannot be saved, so have your answers ready. It is in English and French, with help text in other languages.

3. 3

   Enter your passport number carefully

   Use the number at the top of your passport information page. IRCC lists a wrong number as a common mistake.

4. 4

   Pay and print the receipt

   Pay right after completing the form, and print the receipt at once; you cannot get a copy later. Each person needs their own form and payment.

5. 5

   Wait for the email

   Most applicants are approved within minutes. If IRCC needs documents, it emails instructions within 72 hours, and processing can take several days. Check your junk folder.

6. 6

   Check the approval and fly

   Make sure the passport number in the approval email matches your passport exactly. Travel with that passport. It is best to get the eTA before you book your flight.

The eTA fee is not refundable. eTA applicants who are only visiting do not give biometrics. IRCC's eTA page gives the processing time as usually within minutes, but up to several days.

An officer can refuse an eTA if you are inadmissible or do not meet the requirements. An eTA can also become invalid after it is issued. Under IRPR section 12.06, you become ineligible to hold one if, for example:

• you were later refused a visitor visa, work permit or study permit because an officer was not satisfied you would leave Canada at the end of your stay
• you are the subject of an inadmissibility report or a removal order, or withdrew your application to enter at the border
• you were issued a temporary resident permit
• an officer has reasonable grounds to believe you will not leave Canada at the end of your authorized stay
• for an expanded eTA, it turns out you did not hold a Canadian visa in the last 10 years or a valid US visa when you applied

An officer can also cancel an eTA if you are inadmissible, become ineligible, or it was issued by administrative error (IRPR section 12.07). It ends automatically if you become a permanent resident, or if the passport is lost, stolen, destroyed or abandoned.

Misrepresentation on an eTA form, such as hiding a past refusal or a criminal record, can make you inadmissible for 5 years under section 40 of the Act.

• You can travel to Canada as often as you want while the eTA is valid, normally for stays of up to 6 months at a time.
• If you get a new passport, you need a new eTA. A new eTA for the same passport replaces the old one.
• With no stamp in your passport, you can stay 6 months from entry or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. To stay longer, apply for a visitor record before your status ends.
• Bring any invitation letter and, for minor children, a letter authorizing travel and custody papers if needed.
• In most cases, an eTA also ends if Canada removes your country from the eTA lists (IRPR section 12.05).