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Home › Visas and permits › Canada's eTA: 7 Canadian dollars, approved in minutes, and the three traps that leave you stuck at the counter (new passport, land travel and the country list)
Step by step

Canada's eTA: 7 Canadian dollars, approved in minutes, and the three traps that leave you stuck at the counter (new passport, land travel and the country list)

The eTA (electronic Travel Authorization) is a digital permit issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that lets you BOARD a flight to Canada without a visa. It is not a visa, it is not a piece of paper and it is not a guarantee of anything: «An eTA is electronically linked to a traveller's passport», the agency says, and adds on the same page «An eTA doesn't guarantee entry to Canada. When you arrive, a border services officer will ask to see your passport and other documents». Three things worth understanding before you pay: (1) it works ONLY if you arrive by plane; by land, bus, train or boat it is not used; (2) it does not allow you to work or study: «An eTA doesn't allow you to work in Canada» and «An eTA doesn't allow you to study in Canada»; and (3) it stays tied to the passport number you applied with, so if you renew your passport, the eTA dies with the old passport. It costs CAD 7 and in most cases is approved within minutes.

⚠️ Sensitive information — always check the official source
Visa requirements, quotas, amounts and dates change often. Every fact in this guide was checked against the official source on 2026-09-23 and we re-check it periodically, but before starting any procedure confirm the details on the official links (embassy, consulate or ministry) shown on this page. viajacongus.com does not process visas and does not replace official information.
💵 How much it costs
Official IRCC fee list, read on 23/09/2026 with modification date 2026-09-21. eTA: CAD 7.00 per person. The portal repeats it in these words: «An eTA costs CAD $7». It is non-refundable and is paid once per person, minors included. IF YOU NEED A VISITOR VISA instead of an eTA, the maths is different: processing fee CAD 100.00 per person, capped at CAD 500.00 for families of 5 or more; PLUS biometrics CAD 85.00 per person, capped at CAD 170.00 for families of 2 or more. That is, CAD 185 per head versus CAD 7: twenty-six times more. Extension of stay within Canada: CAD 100.00. Restoration of visitor status: CAD 246.25. Payment methods accepted for the eTA, verbatim: «Visa®, Mastercard®, American Express®, a pre-paid Visa®, Mastercard® or American Express®, Visa Debit, or Debit Mastercard, UnionPay®, or JCB Card®».
⏳ How long it takes
eTA: «Most applicants get their eTA approval (via an email) within minutes. However, some requests can take several days to process». Both sentences come from the same official paragraph and both matter: minutes is the norm, but IRCC reserves the right to take several days and does not publish a maximum time. If the system asks you for additional documentation, the notice comes by email: «You may need to submit documents before your application can be approved. If this happens to you, an email will be sent with instructions within 72 hours». VISITOR VISA: IRCC does not publish a single timeframe; it uses a processing-time tool that varies by country and updates on its own. NOT PUBLISHED as a fixed number.
📅 How long it's valid
Two things need to be kept apart. (1) VALIDITY OF THE eTA: «valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first». Up to five years, and it dies with the passport. Note the «up to»: they can give you less. (2) DAYS OF STAY: the eTA does not give you those. IRCC itself describes the eligible trip as «a temporary stay (normally for up to 6 months)», but the one who decides how long you stay is the border officer: «When you arrive, a border services officer will ask to see your passport and other documents». Within the eTA's validity you can enter and leave as many times as you like, always for temporary stays. The visitor visa, on the other hand, has whatever validity the approving officer sets, never beyond the passport's expiry date.

👤 Who needs it?

We read IRCC's official table of requirements by country on 23/09/2026 (page with modification date 2026-07-31) and split our twenty-eight nationalities into four groups, because the most expensive mistake in this process is being in the wrong group. GROUP 1 — NEED AN eTA (visa-exempt countries, flying): Germany, Andorra, Australia, Chile, Denmark, Spain and Italy. Seven, and they are the same seven that are in the United States Visa Waiver Program: not by chance, but not a rule either, just a coincidence. GROUP 2 — EXEMPT FROM THE eTA: United States. Verbatim from IRCC: «U.S. citizens are exempt from the eTA requirement and must carry proper identification such as a valid U.S. passport». And lawful permanent residents of the United States, since 26 April 2022, are also exempt: they travel with «a valid passport from their country or territory of nationality... and a valid green card». GROUP 3 — eTA ONLY IF THEY MEET AN EXTRA CONDITION (the so-called eTA-X): Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, MEXICO, PANAMA and Uruguay. The table shows them as visa-required countries, with the note «Some citizens of ... may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements». GROUP 4 — VISITOR VISA NO MATTER WHAT, with no eTA option: Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Suriname and Venezuela. Watch out with group 3: if you are Argentine, Brazilian, Costa Rican, Mexican, Panamanian or Uruguayan and you do NOT meet the extra condition, there is no eTA for you: you need a visa, which costs CAD 100 plus CAD 85 for biometrics and takes weeks.

🧭 The step by step

1
Step 0: look up your country in the official table and see which group you fall into
It is the step most people skip and the one that costs the most money. Open IRCC's table of requirements by country, look up your nationality and read exactly what it says next to it. There are three possible answers: «eTA required» (Germany, Andorra, Australia, Chile, Denmark, Spain, Italy), plain «Visa required» (Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Suriname, Venezuela), or «Visa required» with the note «Some citizens of ... may be eligible for an eTA if they meet certain requirements» (Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Uruguay).
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Mexico and Panama are in the group with the note, just like Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica and Uruguay. It is a change many people have not registered and it appears in writing in the official table: look them up there before believing anyone.
2
If you are from Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama or Uruguay: check the extra condition (eTA-X) BEFORE paying
IRCC asks for THREE things together, not one. First, visa history: «You've held a Canadian visitor visa (temporary resident visa) in the past 10 years or currently hold a valid United States (US) non-immigrant visa». Second, the purpose: «You're coming to Canada for a temporary stay (normally for up to 6 months)». And third, the way you arrive: «You're flying to or transiting through a Canadian airport». If you are missing just one of the three, the eTA is not an option and you need a visitor visa.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The US visa has to be VALID, not expired, and it has to be a NON-IMMIGRANT visa (tourism, business, study). A green card does not work for the eTA-X: the green card exempts you by a different route, only if you are also a permanent resident of the United States. And the old Canadian visa counts even if it has expired, as long as you held it within the last 10 years: they are two different rules and they get mixed up all the time.
3
If you are going to enter by land or by sea, stop: the eTA is no use to you
This is written on two different official pages. On the eligibility page: «If you're from an eTA-required country or territory and you're arriving by car, bus, train or boat... you don't need an eTA to enter Canada». And on the eTA-X page, for the six countries in the middle group: «Travellers with a passport from one of the eligible countries still need a valid visitor visa (temporary resident visa) if driving to Canada from the U.S. by car or arriving by bus, train or boat, including a cruise ship». In plain terms: if you are Chilean, Spanish or Italian and you cross from the United States by car, you need neither an eTA nor anything else. If you are Argentine or Mexican and you cross by car, you need a VISA, even if you had an eTA-X.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: There is a published exception and it is extremely rare, but it exists: anyone arriving by sea from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon on a vessel that is not a cruise ship DOES need an eTA. If your itinerary includes a sea leg, read that whole page before taking anything for granted.
4
If you have a layover in Canada on the way to another country, the eTA still applies
The eTA-X condition spells it out: «You're flying to or transiting through a Canadian airport». Transiting through a Canadian airport counts as flying to Canada for this process. If your flight to Europe or Asia connects in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver and your citizenship is from a country that requires an eTA, you need it just the same even if you never set foot outside.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Do not count on the airline to warn you. The eTA check is electronic and happens at the boarding counter in your city, not in Canada: if it is not there, you do not get on the plane, and the ticket is not refunded.
5
United States: citizens and permanent residents pay nothing
Verbatim from IRCC: «U.S. citizens are exempt from the eTA requirement and must carry proper identification such as a valid U.S. passport». And since 26 April 2022 lawful permanent residents of the United States are also exempt, but they have to show two documents together: «a valid passport from their country or territory of nationality... and a valid green card».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The permanent resident exemption is a TWO-document exemption. The green card alone is not enough: you also need the valid passport of your country of nationality. If your home-country passport has expired, the exemption does not cover you.
6
Before opening the form, have the three things on the table
The official list is short: «a valid passport from a visa-exempt country or territory», «a valid email address» and a payment method. The accepted methods, verbatim: «Visa®, Mastercard®, American Express®, a pre-paid Visa®, Mastercard® or American Express®, Visa Debit, or Debit Mastercard, UnionPay®, or JCB Card®». Sit down and do it in one go, with the passport open at the data page.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The form does NOT save. Two official sentences, from two different pages: «The form cannot be saved. So have your information ready» and «Your information can't be saved. You have limited time to complete the form». If you get up to look for your passport halfway through, you can lose everything you entered and start from scratch.
7
One person at a time: there is no family eTA
Verbatim instruction from the portal: «You can only apply and pay for one person at a time». If four people are travelling, that is four forms and four payments of CAD 7. Babies and children need their own, because the eTA is tied to a passport and each person has their own.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Enter the application for the person with the earliest flight first. If one of them is asked for extra documentation, that application stretches out and the others are not held up.
8
The passport number: enter it character by character, it is THE trap of this process
The sentence that defines everything: «An eTA is electronically linked to a traveller's passport». They do not give you a paper, they do not give you a code: the authorization is tied to that number and that number only. Copy it directly from the passport's data page, looking at the document, not from memory or from an old photo. Check it twice before paying.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: If the number is wrong, at the counter you will not show up as authorized and you will not board. Since the process costs CAD 7, the practical way out is to do another one properly; but if you realize at the airport it is already too late, because approval can take time. Do it with time to spare.
9
Pay the CAD 7 and print the receipt ON THE SPOT
Payment comes immediately after the form, within the same session: you pay «$7 CAD for your eTA right after you complete the form». And then comes a warning that the portal itself puts in bold: «Make sure you print your receipt right away. You won't be able to print it later».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: «You won't be able to print it later» is literal. If you close the window without saving the receipt, there is no way to recover it from the site. Save the PDF or take a screenshot before closing anything.
10
Wait for the email: minutes almost always, several days sometimes
The two official sentences go together: «Most applicants get their eTA approval (via an email) within minutes. However, some requests can take several days to process». Approval arrives by email, not on screen. IRCC also warns that this is the only channel: «You will hear from us by email only. Check your junk mail folder».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Check spam and promotions BEFORE applying again. A duplicate eTA on the same passport is an avoidable mess, and it is another CAD 7.
11
If they ask you for documents, the instruction arrives within 72 hours
Verbatim: «You may need to submit documents before your application can be approved. If this happens to you, an email will be sent with instructions within 72 hours». It is not a refusal: it is a manual check. Follow the instructions in the email to the letter and do not open a new application in the meantime.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: That 72-hour window is for the instruction to REACH YOU, not for your application to be resolved. If you applied for the eTA three days before the flight and you get a manual check, you will not make it.
12
Do not expect a paper: there is none
The eTA is not printed and is not stuck into the passport. It lives inside the system, linked to the passport number, and the airline checks it electronically when you check in. What is worth having on hand is the approval email and the payment receipt, in case anyone asks.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Turning up with the NEW passport and the eTA obtained with the old one is exactly the same problem as having no eTA. The system searches by number and finds nothing.
13
If you renew your passport, the old eTA dies: get another one
One-line rule, verbatim: «If you get a new passport, you need to get a new eTA». There is no transfer or update procedure: you apply again and pay again. Since the eTA lasts up to five years and a passport is renewed every ten, it is common for this to happen in between.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: It also happens with a passport that filled up with stamps and was replaced before expiry, or with one you lost and had replaced. Any new passport = new eTA.
14
On arrival: the eTA is not the entry
Verbatim from the agency that issues it: «An eTA doesn't guarantee entry to Canada. When you arrive, a border services officer will ask to see your passport and other documents». The Canada Border Services Agency officer decides whether you enter and for how long. Bring your passport, accommodation booking, return ticket and the means to fund the trip.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: What IRCC describes as an eligible trip is «a temporary stay (normally for up to 6 months)». «Normally» and «up to»: six months is the usual ceiling, not a right. The officer sets the number.
15
With an eTA you do not work or study, not even a little
Two official warnings, verbatim: «An eTA doesn't allow you to work in Canada. Most people need a work permit to work in Canada» and «An eTA doesn't allow you to study in Canada. Most people need a study permit to study in Canada». And the portal itself frames non-compliance as fraud: «If you stay longer than allowed, or work or study in Canada without the right permit, you could be committing fraud».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: The three-week English course and the cash-in-hand summer job fall under that definition. And it goes on record: your next eTA or visa is assessed by the same system.
16
If you need a visitor visa: what changes, what it costs and how much it hurts
The process is a different sport. It is submitted online, through the IRCC Portal (there is a new version available «if you're 18+, applying alone, and haven't used IRCC services before»). Basic document for everyone: «a digital copy of your valid (not expired) passport or travel document», with at least 6 months of validity. Depending on the purpose of the trip, more papers are added; for tourism, for example, «a letter from a person or business inviting you to Canada». Official fees: «Visitor visa processing fee: Individual: $100» plus «Biometrics fee: Individual: $85». And after submitting: «Wait for your biometrics instruction letter, and then book your biometrics collection appointment as soon as possible».
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Biometrics are PAID when you submit the application, together with the fee, and GIVEN later, when the instruction letter arrives. If you do not pay the CAD 85 at the time, the application is put on hold and does not move forward. It is two payments in a single transaction: CAD 185 per person.
17
Only the Canadian government site: intermediaries charge ten times more
The portal identifies itself with this sentence: «This is the Government of Canada's official website to apply for an eTA». The process costs CAD 7 and there is no premium service, no urgent processing, no «guaranteed approval». Any page that charges you 50, 60 or 80 dollars for an eTA is a private reseller filling in the same form you can fill in yourself.
Go to the official site for this step →
Watch out: Simple and sufficient rule: the address has to end in canada.ca. If it says «canada-eta», «eta-canada», «canadavisa» or any variant with hyphens, it is not the government. And if the price is not exactly CAD 7, neither is that.
Go to the official site →
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) — Government of Canada

📋 What you need at hand

⚠️ The mistakes that cost you

🔎 Where this comes from

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