Canada · Travel authorisation
Electronic travel authorization (eTA)
Electronic travel authorization (eTA) (eTA) is issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. VisaAI tracks 17 official requirements for it, each traced to the government page that states it.
Last verified against the official source on .
VisaAI is not a government body and does not issue visas. It cannot decide, predict or guarantee the outcome of an application, and this page is not legal or immigration advice.
Requirements change. Confirm every item on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s own page before you apply.
Conditions you must meet
- You need either an eTA or a visitor visa, not both
- Be a citizen of an eTA-required country or territory and be travelling to Canada by airIRCC also states that citizens of select visa-required countries may be eligible to apply for an eTA instead of a visitor visa when travelling to Canada by air, but that they still need a visitor visa when arriving by car, bus, train or boat including a cruise ship. Neither country list has been extracted, so this condition carries no rule.
- Have a valid travel document, such as a passport
- Be in good health
- Have no criminal or immigration-related convictionsIRCC lists separate grounds of inadmissibility, including criminal activity, human rights violations, organized crime, and security, health or financial reasons.
- Convince a border services officer that you have ties to your home country or territoryIRCC names a job, a home, financial assets or family as examples of ties.
- Convince a border services officer that you will leave Canada at the end of your visit
- Have enough money for your stayIRCC publishes no fixed threshold: the amount depends on how long you stay and whether you stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives.
- An eTA does not guarantee entry to CanadaOn arrival a border services officer asks to see your passport and other documents, and you must satisfy the officer that you are eligible to enter.
- A dual Canadian citizen must travel with a valid Canadian passportIRCC states American-Canadians can travel with a valid Canadian or U.S. passport.
Documents you must provide
- A valid passport from a visa-exempt country or territory
- A valid email addressIRCC sends the decision on the eTA application by email.
- An accepted credit or debit card to pay the eTA feeIRCC accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, pre-paid Visa, Mastercard or American Express, Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard, UnionPay and JCB. It states the fee is non-refundable.
Steps in the process
- Complete the online eTA form in one sittingIRCC warns the form cannot be saved. It is available in English and French only, though field descriptions are published in other languages.
- Pay the eTA fee immediately after completing the form
- Submit further documents if IRCC asks for themIRCC states most applications are approved within minutes, but that some applicants must submit documents before approval, and that instructions arrive by email within 72 hours if so.
Government fees
- Electronic travel authorization feeCAD 7.00. The apply page states the same amount and adds that it is non-refundable.
Official sources
- Official page — Official page, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
- Eligibility — Eligibility, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
- How to apply — How to apply, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
- Fees — Fees, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada