How to check your eTA for Canada?

If you plan to travel to Canada soon, before leaving you will need to check that you have your Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) for Canada and that it is still valid.

For a stay of less than 6 months in Canada : You can carry out the formalities for entering Canada directly via the Internet by clicking on the online form. It is not necessary to obtain an appointment at the Canadian embassy or consulate.

To check his eTA you have two possible checks:

• Verify data entered to ensure authorization is obtained
• Verification of the eTA status once the request has been sent.

To help you in this process, we detail how to proceed for these two scenarios.

What is the Canada eTA?

Before detailing the means of verifying an eTA, let us recall its definition and the conditions under which it is issued.

The eTA Electronic Travel Authorization is an authorization for travel or transit on Canadian territory. Like the ESTA authorization for the United States, the Canada eTA takes the form of an electronic document directly linked to your passport via a computer system. Once issued, the eTA authorization is valid for 5 years from the date of issue. However, if your passport expires before this deadline or is replaced, the eTA will no longer be valid. During its period of validity, it also allows you to travel as many times as you wish to Canada, provided that you respect the legal duration of stay (6 consecutive months maximum).

Who does the Canada eTA apply to?

The Canada eTA applies to all visa-exempt nationals, including French nationals, traveling to Canada by air or transiting through a Canadian airport. Today, the citizens of about fifty countries are exempt from visa to travel to Canada, among these states we find in particular the countries of the European Union or Australia.

Note that travelers in possession of a visa, whether it is a tourist visa, a student visa or a work permit issued by the consular authorities, will not need to an eTA application.

The conditions to be met to obtain an eTA

Before ordering a Canada eTA, be aware that certain conditions apply, including:

• be in possession of a valid (preferably) biometric passport;
• the reason for the trip must be tourist or professional (business trips);
• travel by air;
• not stay more than six consecutive months.

How to apply for an eTA?

The Canada eTA application is a relatively simple process if done correctly, you have two main ways to proceed:

• order an eTA directly on the official Canadian government website;
• use private sites, such as our partner, in order to benefit from a support service throughout the eTA ordering process.

Now that you know more about the authorization to stay in Canada, let’s look at the main information to check on an eTA, in order to ensure its validity.

Essential information to check on an eTA

To verify an eTA, one of the first things to do is to check that the civil status information appearing on the document (surname, first name, etc.) corresponds in all respects to that mentioned on the passport. Indeed, a simple input error when filling out the online form is enough for your eTA to be refused.

At the same time, it is necessary to check on the eTA that the passport number mentioned is the same as the one visible on your own passport. Again, if there is any error, you will most likely be denied permission.

Please note: be sure to verify your email address, as this is how you will receive your response.

Check the status of an eTA

Following an online eTA application, the Canadian government sends several emails to the email address mentioned on the form in order to:

• acknowledge receipt of the request;
• request information updates or provide additional information, if needed;
• inform about the decision on the application.

In addition, Canadian authorities provide an online verification tool to verify the status of an eTA. This is intended for two types of situations:

• the traveler has made a new request, he wants to check the status of the authorization;
• the traveler already has an eTA, but wants to make sure it is still valid or simply find it.

To check the status of your eTA via this tool, you will simply need to bring your passport and the application number appearing on the acknowledgment email. The passport information requested is the passport number, country of issue, date of issue and expiry.

If it turns out, that after having checked the status of your eTA, the application is rejected, it will be necessary to apply for a visa at the Canadian Embassy if the eligibility conditions cannot be met or proceed with a new application if the refusal is due to an input error.

Once you have completed all the checks and ensured the validity of your eTA, you are officially entitled to travel to maple country.

Please note: even if you have checked that your eTA is correct, this does not guarantee your access to the territory. Indeed, when you arrive at the airport, you will be subject to control by the customs services via a border services agent, the only person authorized to judge whether or not you are entitled, or not, to stay or transit through Canada.

Note: if you have lost your Canada eTA , the search procedure is also to be done on the official Canadian government website.