If your passport is from a visa-exempt country and you're flying to Canada, you need an eTA before you board. It costs CAN$7 (roughly US$5), most people are approved within minutes, and it lasts up to five years. Those figures are from the Government of Canada's pages, checked in October 2026.
Since May 2026, 17 visa-required countries can use an eTA instead of a visa. Road and cruise arrivals follow different rules, and copycat sites charge far more than the real fee. Below is the Canada eTA application from eligibility to approval.
Who needs a Canada eTA?
Canada's electronic travel authority, officially an "electronic travel authorization", is an entry rule for visa-exempt travellers who arrive by air. It's linked electronically to your passport, so there's no sticker to collect.
Not everyone needs one. This table shows where you stand as of October 2026.
| You are | eTA needed? | Carry instead |
|---|---|---|
| Passport on the eTA list, flying | Yes | Valid passport and the eTA |
| US citizen | No | Valid ID, such as a US passport |
| US green card holder | No | Valid passport and green card |
| Canadian citizen (dual too) | No, can't apply | Canadian passport |
| Canadian permanent resident | No, can't apply | PR card or travel document |
| Holder of a valid Canadian visitor visa | No | The visa: "one or the other, not both" |
American-Canadian dual citizens can fly in on either a Canadian or a US passport. A dual US citizen with another nationality needs no eTA while travelling on the US passport.
Which passports are on the eTA list?
The Government of Canada's "What you need to enter Canada" page, dated 31 July 2026, lists these passports. Citizens of these places need an eTA to fly, and no visitor visa.
| Region | Passports |
|---|---|
| Europe | Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City |
| United Kingdom | British citizens, British nationals (overseas), British overseas citizens, British subjects with right of abode, and citizens of listed British overseas territories |
| Asia-Pacific | Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Taiwan |
| Americas | Bahamas, Barbados, Chile |
| Middle East | Israel, Qatar, United Arab Emirates |
Some entries carry conditions. Romania covers electronic passports only. Israel needs a national passport, Hong Kong a Hong Kong SAR passport, and Taiwan an ordinary passport with a personal ID number.
So do UK citizens need a Canada eTA? Yes, if you fly on a British passport of the types above. Irish, German, Dutch and Australian passports are on the same list.
Can you use an eTA from a visa-required country?
Since 26 May 2026, yes for some people. That's when Canada added Indonesia and Malaysia to a short list of visa-required countries whose citizens can apply for an eTA instead of a visitor visa. The official page for these travellers is dated 27 July 2026.
The 17 countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
The Canada eTA requirements here are stricter than for the visa-exempt list. You must meet all three conditions:
- You've held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years, or you hold a valid US non-immigrant visa. The US visa must be valid when you apply, not when you travel.
- You're coming for a temporary stay, normally up to six months.
- You're flying to, or connecting through, a Canadian airport on a valid passport from one of those countries.
Miss one and you need a visitor visa. Even then, an eTA doesn't guarantee entry.
Why the eTA only works for flights
The eTA is an air rule. If you're from an eTA-list country and arrive by car, bus, train or boat, including a cruise ship, you don't need one.
You still need a valid passport.
So a visa-exempt traveller driving over the Peace Arch crossing south of Vancouver needs no eTA. The same person flying into Vancouver can't board without one.
Cruise ships and Saint-Pierre
Cruise passengers on the eTA list can skip the application when they sail into a port such as Vancouver's Canada Place. The exception is a sea arrival from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, where you need an eTA to board. Cruise ships are excluded from that rule.
How much does the Canada eTA cost?
It costs CAN$7 per application, as of October 2026. That's about US$5, depending on the exchange rate.
You pay by card straight after finishing the form, and the fee isn't refundable. The official application page lists the steps.
It accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, prepaid versions of those, Visa Debit, Debit Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB.
Each person submits their own form, and children need a separate application too. A family of four fills in four forms and pays CAN$28 in total. A price above CAN$7 per form means you're on the wrong website.
How to apply for a Canada eTA on the official site
The official page is canada.ca/eTA, and there's nowhere else to apply. Here are the six steps:
- Check you're eligible with the tables above or the government's "Check if you need a visa or eTA" tool.
- Gather your passport, a payment card and an email address you can open.
- Open the form on the official Government of Canada page and answer the questions. The form can't be saved, so have your details ready.
- Pay CAN$7 as soon as you finish.
- Watch your email. Most applications are approved within minutes.
- Match the passport number in the approval email to your passport. If they don't match, apply again.
Use the same passport at check-in. A new passport means a new eTA.
Canada eTA approval time
Most applications are approved within minutes. If Canada needs documents from you, it emails instructions within 72 hours. So the realistic rule is to apply when you book, not at the airport.
Waiting longer than 72 hours with no result? Use the "Check your eTA status" tool with your application number and passport details.
Still nothing? Send an enquiry through the government's form. Replies can take several days.
A border officer still decides at arrival. With a valid eTA you can make short stays, normally up to six months at a time.
How to spot a fake eTA site
Copycat sites charge extra for a form that costs CAN$7. IRCC's help centre says there's only one place to apply: the Government of Canada website. It adds that companies selling the service aren't working for the government.
IRCC's guidance on fake immigration sites lists these red flags:
- The address doesn't use canada.ca or end in .gc.ca
- There's no padlock or https:// in the browser
- It asks you to pay for forms or guides, or to pay before you start
- It looks official but appears in only one language
Think you've paid a copycat? Run your application number through the status tool first.
If the government confirms there's no eTA in your name, contact your local police when you're outside Canada. Inside Canada, call the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
Connecting through Canada
The Canada eTA transit rule is simple. If you're from an eTA-list country, you need an eTA to transit through Canada by air, and IRCC's transit page says so directly.
That catches people flying from Europe to Asia or Mexico via Toronto or Vancouver. A cheap connection through Canada adds a CAN$7 task.
Visa-required passports have a separate route. Canada's Transit Without a Visa programme covers some passports, under conditions. Use the government's checking tool for your route.
When a valid eTA still won't get you on the plane
The rule works by country of residence, not citizenship. Processing continues, but applications aren't finalised while it applies. Check the page if this affects you, because the end date could change.
Before you fly: a short checklist
- Passport number matches your eTA email
- Flying or connecting? Then you need the eTA
- Applied only on the official site, CAN$7 per person
- Visa-required passport? All three conditions met, or a visitor visa instead
Comparing entry systems? Our guides to the UK ETA, Korea's K-ETA and Australia's ETA and New Zealand's NZeTA show how each one works.
Try the visa checker for other passports. Once entry is sorted, see our Canada guide, or start with Toronto or Vancouver.
Rules change, so check the official page before you book.
Frequently asked questions
Do UK citizens need an eTA for Canada?
Yes, if you fly. British citizens are on Canada's eTA list, so you need one to board a flight to Canada or connect through a Canadian airport. By road, rail or cruise ship, you need only a valid passport.
How long is a Canada eTA valid?
It's valid for up to five years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. It's linked to the passport you applied with, so a new passport needs a new eTA. During that time you can fly in as often as you like for short stays.
Do US citizens need an eTA?
No. US citizens are exempt and need only proper ID, such as a US passport. US green card holders are exempt too, but must show a valid passport and green card. Dual US citizens who travel on a valid US passport don't need an eTA either.
Can I get an eTA if I'm from Mexico, Brazil or Thailand?
Possibly. Those countries are among the 17 visa-required countries whose citizens can apply for an eTA instead of a visa. You need a Canadian visitor visa from the past 10 years or a valid US non-immigrant visa, and you must be flying.
Is the eTA a visa?
No. An eTA is an electronic permission for visa-exempt travellers arriving by air. Neither it nor a visa guarantees entry, because a border officer decides on arrival. With a valid Canadian visitor visa, you don't need an eTA too.
