Canada eTA 2026: the electronic travel authorization — price, eligibility, how to apply

To board a flight to Canada, most visa-exempt travellers — including French, Belgian and all European Union citizens — need an eTA (electronic travel authorization), Canada's equivalent of the US ESTA. It is one of the simplest travel formalities in the world: an online form that takes about ten minutes, a CAN$7 fee, and approval that usually lands in your inbox within minutes. But the eTA only covers certain passports, only applies to arrivals by air, and dozens of copycat websites charge ten times the official price. Here is the complete guide, checked against canada.ca in July 2026.

The eTA is an electronic document linked to your passport — nothing to print, nothing to stick in. It is required to enter Canada by air or to transit through a Canadian airport. It allows multiple entries, normally for stays of up to 6 months at a time.

Who needs what when arriving by air:

Since June 2023, Canada has extended the eTA to nationals of countries that normally need a visa. As of July 2026, the official list has 17 countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia and Malaysia (added on 26 May 2026), Mexico, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago and Uruguay.

The conditions are strict:

• you must have held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years OR currently hold a valid US non-immigrant visa (B1/B2, F-1, H-1B…); and
• you must arrive in Canada by air only. By land or sea (including cruise ships), a visitor visa is still mandatory.

For Africa, only Morocco and the Seychelles are on the list. A Moroccan citizen holding a valid US B1/B2 visa can therefore fly to Montreal with a simple CAN$7 eTA; a Moroccan with no US visa and no recent Canadian visa must apply for the standard visitor visa. Every other African passport — like the Ecuadorian passport — goes through the visitor visa route, whatever the traveller's situation.

Worth knowing: visa-exempt travellers (French, Europeans…) entering Canada by land or sea from the United States do not need an eTA — a valid passport is enough.

• Price: CAN$7 (about US$5), payable by credit or debit card. One application and one payment per person, babies included.
• Validity: 5 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. If you renew your passport, the eTA dies with the old one: you must apply again.
• Multiple entries: a valid eTA lets you return to Canada as often as you like while it lasts.
• An eTA does not guarantee entry: on arrival, a border services officer checks your passport and may ask about your trip. The officer decides whether you are admitted and for how long.

1. Go only to canada.ca, the "Electronic travel authorization (eTA)" page run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). It is the only official website.
2. Have three things ready: your passport, a credit or debit card, and an email address.
3. Fill in the online form: identity, contact details, and a few questions about your health and background (visa refusals, convictions). Answer honestly — a discovered lie means inadmissibility.
4. Watch the passport number — the number one mistake flagged by IRCC: copy exactly the number at the top of the page with your photo, without adding spaces or hyphens.
5. Pay the CAN$7 online.
6. Watch your inbox: the vast majority of eTAs are approved within minutes. If supporting documents are needed, you receive an email with instructions within 72 hours, and processing can then take several days.
7. Check the approval email: the passport number shown must match your passport exactly. If it doesn't, apply again (and pay another CAN$7) — otherwise you will be denied boarding.

On departure day there is nothing to show: the airline scans your passport and sees the eTA electronically. IRCC's own advice: get your eTA before booking your flight, in case processing takes several days.

Two situations lead to the visitor visa (TRV):

• Your country is not eTA-eligible: Ecuador, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, DR Congo, Algeria, Tunisia and almost the entire African continent (apart from the Morocco/Seychelles cases with a US visa).
• Your eTA is refused: this happens with criminal records, poorly declared previous visa refusals or inadmissibility. There is no appeal — the practical remedy is to file a visitor visa application, where you can attach full explanations and supporting documents.

The visitor visa is a much heavier process: CAN$100 in fees plus CAN$85 for biometrics, a complete file (finances, ties, itinerary) and processing times measured in weeks or even months depending on the visa office. We wrote a detailed guide about it: Canada visitor visa 2026: IRCC, biometrics and officer notes (in French).

Connecting in Toronto or Montreal on your way somewhere else?

• Visa-exempt passport (France, EU…): the eTA is mandatory even for a simple layover, without leaving the airport's international zone.
• Visa-required passport: you need a transit visa (free, for transits under 48 hours) or a visitor visa.
• Exception: passengers on a flight to or from the United States that stops in Canada just to refuel, holding proper US entry documents, are exempt.
• Dual Canadian citizens: a Canadian passport is required, even in transit.

This is the most profitable scam targeting travellers to Canada. Dozens of websites — often at the top of Google's sponsored results — imitate the official site and charge €30 to €120 for an eTA worth CAN$7, merely retyping your form when they are not simply harvesting your card details.

The golden rules:

• The only official website is canada.ca (Government of Canada). Check the URL in the address bar before paying.
• The official fee is CAN$7, full stop. Any site showing another price, paid "priority processing" or an "expert-checked form" is a commercial middleman, useless at best.
• IRCC will never contact you by phone or email demanding an extra payment.
• Already paid on a third-party site? Check whether an eTA was actually issued using the official "Check your eTA status" tool on canada.ca, with your passport number.

• When should I apply?

As soon as your trip takes shape, and ideally before buying your tickets. Most eTAs arrive within minutes, but IRCC warns that some applications take several days when documents are requested.

• Does the eTA let me work or study?

No. It covers tourism, family visits, business (meetings, conferences) and transit. Working or long-term studies require a dedicated permit.

• Do my children need an eTA?

Yes. Every traveller — including babies — needs their own eTA linked to their own passport.

• I have a US green card. Do I need an eTA?

No. US lawful permanent residents are exempt from the eTA: they need their valid national passport and their green card (or equivalent proof of status).

• How long can I stay in Canada with an eTA?

Usually up to 6 months per stay, but the border officer sets the duration on arrival — check the stamp or document you are given.

• What happens if I change passports?

The eTA is tied to the old passport and becomes unusable. Apply again, for CAN$7, with the new one.