Electronic Travel Authorization for Flights to Canada
April 27, 2017
Citizens of Brazil, Bulgaria and Romania
Starting on May 1, 2017, citizens of Brazil, Bulgaria1 and Romania1 will be able to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), instead of a visitor visa, to travel to Canada by air, if they:
- have held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years or currently hold a valid United States nonimmigrant visa
- are coming for a short visit, for business or as tourists (normally for a stay of up to 6 months)
Canadians holding dual citizenship
If you are a dual Canadian citizen used to travelling to or transiting through Canada, you cannot apply for an eTA. You will need a valid Canadian passport to board your flight to Canada.
1. Effective December 1, 2017, citizens of Bulgaria and Romania will be able to apply for an eTA, with no visa or travel conditions.
January 3, 2017
Effective December 1st, 2016, Mexican citizens who do not have a valid visa will be required to have an eTA before they can board a flight to Canada.
November 14, 2016
The Government of Canada has introduced a new entry requirement, known as an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), that applies to visa-exempt foreign nationals* travelling to or transiting Canada by air.
Effective November 10, 2016, visa-exempt foreign nationals must have an eTA before they can board a flight to Canada. To complete your application for an eTAOpens in New Window, you will need your passport, a credit card and an email address. An eTA costs $7 CAD and is valid for up to five years.
Among those exempted from this new requirement are U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid visa. As well, entry requirements for travellers arriving by land or sea have not changed.
To see if the citizens of your country need an eTA or to apply for one, visit the Government of Canada’s Electronic Travel Authorization Opens in New Windowwebsite.
* A visa-exempt foreign national is a person who is not a citizen of Canada and is not required to obtain a visa for the purpose of travel based on their country of nationality.