How to apply for Canada eTA

Canada's electronic travel authorisation (eTA) is an online permission for people travelling to, or transiting through, Canada. The Government of Canada describes its own eTA pages as the official place to apply, and the application costs CAN$7. [1] Applicants need a valid passport from a visa-exempt country or territory, and some travellers are exempt from the eTA requirement altogether. [2]

Facts checked: 18 October 2026

Canada eTA
Categories	Travel authorisation
Also called	eTA, electronic travel authorization, Canadian eTA
Fee	CAN$7, non-refundable [2]
Where to apply	Government of Canada eTA website, online form
Data source	Official programme pages

All terms

Key takeaways

The eTA is applied for online on the Government of Canada's own site and costs CAN$7, a fee the application page describes as non-refundable. [1] [2]
Applicants need a valid passport from a visa-exempt country or territory, a valid email address and one of the accepted payment methods. [2]
Most applications are approved within minutes, but some travellers are asked for documents and then receive instructions by email within 72 hours. [2]
Lawful permanent residents of the United States have been exempt from the eTA requirement since 26 April 2022. [2]
Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, cannot use an eTA and need a Canadian passport to travel to or through Canada. [1]

Who can apply, and who needs something else

The application page lists three things a traveller needs before starting: a valid passport from a visa-exempt country or territory, a valid email address, and an accepted way to pay the CAN$7 fee. [2] The payment methods named on that page are Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards, pre-paid cards of those three brands, Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB. [2] The main eTA page puts the same requirement more briefly: a valid passport, a credit or debit card and an email address, plus answers to a few questions in the online form. [1]

One large group is carved out of the requirement. As of 26 April 2022, lawful permanent residents of the United States are exempt from the eTA requirement, and the application page points them to separate guidance on the documents they need to travel to Canada. [2]

The eligibility page also records a newer change. As of 26 May 2026, citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia who meet certain requirements may be eligible to apply for an eTA instead of a visitor visa, to travel to Canada by air. [2] The page does not set out what those requirements are. [2]

Transit is part of the scheme rather than a separate product. The Government of Canada's eTA is the official route to apply for authorisation to travel to, or transit through, Canada, so a traveller passing through Canada applies for the same authorisation. [1] For the documents that sit around a Canadian connection, see Canada transit visa and TWOV.

Applying online, step by step

Applications are made through the government's eTA site, which the government identifies as the official page for applying. [1] The application page sets out the process in four steps. [2]

Have the passport and a credit or debit card ready, and read the help document before starting. [2]
Complete the online form; it cannot be saved, so the information needs to be to hand in one sitting. [2]
Pay the CAN$7 fee immediately after finishing the form. [2]
Wait for an email about the application, since most are approved within minutes. [2]

The form itself is available only in English and French, although the page says descriptions of each field are provided in a list of other languages to help applicants complete it. [2]

After you apply

The government's post-application guidance covers what to expect if further details are needed and what to keep in mind once an eTA has been received. [1] Where an application cannot be approved without documents, an email with instructions is sent within 72 hours. [2] Applicants can also check the status of a pending application, and the status of an eTA they already hold, online. [1]

The application page carries a standing notice that temporary measures introduced in response to Ebola have been extended until 27 November 2026. [2]

Exceptions and limits

Canadian citizens. Dual Canadian citizens need a Canadian passport rather than an eTA, and the government explains why a passport rather than an eTA is needed for travel to or through Canada. [1]
US permanent residents. Lawful permanent residents of the United States are exempt from the eTA requirement under a change dated 26 April 2022. [2]
Indonesia and Malaysia. From 26 May 2026, citizens of those two countries who meet certain requirements may be able to apply for an eTA instead of a visitor visa for travel to Canada by air. [2]
Existing visitor visas. A traveller who already holds a valid visitor visa can use that visa to travel to Canada until it expires, rather than switching documents immediately. [2]
The pages reviewed do not state how long an eTA remains valid, what a traveller must do if the passport used in the application is replaced or renewed, or how applications for children and family groups are handled. [1] [2]

This page is about the eTA for visa-exempt air travellers. It is not a guide to Canada's visitor visa and not advice for Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Both sources are Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada pages; other countries' travel authorisation schemes, Canada's visitor visa rules in their own right, and the position of Canadian citizens and permanent residents are not covered here.

Electronic travel authorization (eTA), Government of Canada, checked 18 October 2026
Electronic travel authorization (eTA): How to apply, Government of Canada, checked 18 October 2026