Canada · Required now
Canada eTAwho needs it, the official fee, how to apply
Travelers from visa-exempt countries, such as the UK, Australia and the EU, need an eTA to fly to or connect through a Canadian airport. It costs CAD $7 on the Government of Canada’s website and usually lasts five years. U.S. citizens don’t need one.
Checked against official sources Oct 29, 2026 · Sources
- Status
- Required now
- Official fee
- CAD $7 · not refundable
- Valid for
- Up to 5 years, or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner
- Each visit
- Usually up to 6 months per visit (the border officer decides)
- Official decision time
- Most applicants are approved by email within minutes; some take several days if documents are requested
- Apply at least
- 3 days before you travel (IRCC emails any request for documents within 72 hours, so apply before you book); earlier is safer
- Apply only at
- www.canada.ca · Government of Canada (IRCC) eTA form
Who needs it
Of the passports we cover: British citizens, Australians, EU citizens. You need it only when flying in or connecting by air; not when arriving by car, bus, train or boat.
Who doesn’t
U.S. citizens; U.S. permanent residents (green card holders), who fly with their passport and a valid green card; Canadian citizens and permanent residents; anyone who already holds a Canadian visa; and anyone arriving by land or sea.
How to apply
- Use the official form on canada.ca (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada).
- Have your passport, an email address and a payment card ready. Pay CAD $7.
- Most approvals arrive by email within minutes. If IRCC asks for documents, it emails instructions within 72 hours, so apply before you book your flight.
- Romanian citizens qualify only with an electronic (chip) passport; otherwise they need a visitor visa.
Children
Every traveler who needs an eTA, including children, needs their own. There is no age exemption.
If you’re only changing planes
Yes. Visa-exempt travelers need an eTA to connect through a Canadian airport, even without leaving it.
Official sources
- IRCC – eTA: how to apply (date modified 2026-08-28; read via WebFetch) ·
This is the Government of Canada's official website to apply for an eTA. It only costs CAN$7.
· checked 2026-10-29 - IRCC – eTA: who can apply / facts (page details date 2024-04-23; read via WebFetch) ·
An eTA costs CAD $7.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Electronic travel authorization (eTA): After you apply - Canada.ca ·
If this is the case for your application, you can expect an email from us within 72 hours of applying.
· checked 2026-10-30 - IRCC – Entry requirements by country/territory (page details date 2026-07-31; read via WebFetch) ·
valid passport from your country of nationality
· checked 2026-10-29 - IRCC Help Centre – Are there any age exemptions for eTA? (date modified 2026-09-28) ·
No. All eTA-required travellers, regardless of their age, will need an eTA when they fly to Canada.
· checked 2026-10-29 - IRCC – Online and telephone immigration scams (date modified 2026-09-01; read via WebFetch) ·
These companies are not working with the Government of Canada.
· checked 2026-10-29 - GOV.UK FCDO – Canada entry requirements (updated 2 June 2026) ·
Some unauthorised websites charge for submitting visa applications. These websites are not associated with the Canadian government.
· checked 2026-10-29
If an official page says something different from this page, the official page is right. Tell us and we’ll fix it.
Get an email when these rules change
Only when an official entry rule we track changes: a new travel authorization, a fee, a start date or a passport rule. At most once a week, with the official source for every change.