Canada eTA: who needs it and how to apply

>- Apply on the official Government of Canada eTA site. You need the passport you will travel on, a credit or debit card, and an email address. The form asks for your passport details, personal details, employment and a few background questions. It takes about 10–20 minutes. Do not use a commercial copycat site: they add a service fee for the same form.

>- After you submit and pay, you usually get an email within minutes. The eTA is electronic — there is no stamp or sticker. It is linked to your passport number, so you do not need to print anything, though a screenshot of the approval is handy if an airline desk asks. If your application goes to manual review, it can take up to 72 hours; apply at least three days before departure to be safe.

>- At the airport, check in as normal. The airline sees your eTA status when it scans your passport. At a Canadian port of entry, a border officer still decides whether you are admitted and for how long — an approved eTA is permission to travel to Canada, not a guarantee of entry.

>- The fee is CAD 7 per person (about USD 5), paid by card at the time of application. There is no separate fee for children, but each traveller needs their own eTA, including infants. A family of four pays four fees.

>- An approved eTA is valid for up to five years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, and allows multiple entries for short visits. If you renew your passport before the eTA expires, the old eTA dies with the old passport number and you need a new one. The same applies if you legally change your name.

>- Processing is usually fast, but do not leave it to the airport. Airlines can refuse boarding if there is no valid eTA on file, and a manual review can take up to 72 hours. Apply a week ahead if your travel dates are fixed.

>- Land and sea crossings from the US do not require an eTA. If you drive or take a bus or train from the US into Canada, you show your passport or accepted travel document at the border instead. This is why a US road trip into Canada is simpler than a flight.

>- Some travellers can transit Canada without an eTA under specific programmes, and some nationalities have different rules depending on whether they hold a valid US visa. Diplomats, crew and some students have separate arrangements. If your situation is not a straightforward tourist flight, check the official rules for your exact case rather than relying on a general guide.

>- A criminal record, a previous refusal or an overstay can affect both the eTA and entry. In those cases the eTA may be refused and you may need a visa or a temporary resident permit. Declare what you are asked to declare; the eTA form includes background questions.

>- Canada's eTA is one of the cheaper and faster schemes. The UK ETA and the US ESTA cost more, and the US ESTA is valid for two years rather than five. Australia's ETA is usually handled through an app or an agent, and New Zealand's NZeTA bundles a conservation levy on top of the application fee. All of them share the same logic: a pre-travel check tied to your passport, separate from a visa.

>- The practical difference is where you apply and how long approval takes. Canada and the US are online and near-instant for most applicants; the UK and New Zealand are similar. If you are doing a multi-country trip, apply for each authorisation separately and check the passport rules for every stop, including transits.