How to complete an eTA for Canada

The Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) allows nationals of countries from the Canadian visa waiver program to travel to Canada by air, avoiding cumbersome procedures. As the authorization is electronic, it is linked to the traveller’s passport.

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.

Why do I need to complete an eTA for Canada?

In the past, it was mandatory to apply for a Canada visa to go there. From now on, it is possible to avoid these many steps, it is enough to complete an eTA in order to receive authorization to stay in Canada, also called eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization). If you have ever traveled to the United States of America, you are surely familiar with the ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which inspired the establishment of the AVE. Before knowing how to complete an eTA to travel to Canada, it is important to find out if you are eligible and what its role is.

Is the eTA accessible to everyone?

Like the ESTA authorization for the USA, foreign nationals must meet certain conditions in order to benefit from the eTA to go to Canada.

Here are the different eligibility criteria:

• the traveler must be a citizen of one of the Canadian visa-exempt countries;
• the trip is by air;
• the stay in Canada does not exceed the six months granted by the Canadian government;
• the traveler must not come to work or study, the authorization only allows to visit Canada or to carry out a transit;
• the traveler must have a biometric passport or an electronic passport (valid passport, beware of the expiry date).

If you do not meet all the requirements for the eTA , you cannot complete the form. In this situation, you must apply for a visa at the nearest Canadian embassy.

What does it allow you to do?

The eTA does not act in the same way as a visa. Thus, the authorization allows you to board the plane bound for Canada, but only the customs agent has the power to let you enter Canadian soil. The verification stage carried out by the customs officer is decisive in your entry into Canadian territory. When you have cleared border services, you are then authorized to stay in Canada for a maximum of six months.

Complete the eTA online

Now that you know the usefulness of the authorization and that you have realized that you are eligible, all you have to do is know how to complete the eTA to receive your authorization as soon as possible. The AVE questionnaire is based on the same model as the ESTA form. The traveler has the choice to complete an eTA, since this is possible on the Government of Canada site, but also on a private site specializing in this authorization request. The price of the online request varies depending on the choice of the ordering site.

Complete the eTA on a specialized site

You can complete the eTA on a private site, such as that of our partner, you must have your passport and a payment card. When filling out the online form, you will only be asked for a few pieces of information, because our collaborator takes care of everything else. A team is responsible for carefully checking all of your personal information before transmitting it to the authorities. The eTA form consists of the following fields:

• the number of requests;
• the type of passport used;
• passport number;
• the country of citizenship indicated on the identity document;
• first name ;
• the last name ;
• and a valid email address.

You must pay the application fee to validate your request. Don’t forget to review your information before this step, especially the passport number.

Complete the eTA on the official Canadian government website

To apply for an eTA on the Canadian government site, you must have a credit card, your passport and your email address.

Go to the official website, the eTA application is broken down into several parts The eTA form begins with the applicant’s personal data (surname, first name, postal address, telephone number, email address, etc.), then you must specify the type of passport used, the country of issue, the nationality as well as the number. passport… More information on your professional situation, your contact details and your trip will also be requested. To finish completing the eTA, all you have to do is answer a few questions about your legal and medical history, then tick the consent box and validate your file submission by paying the fees.

What happens after completing an eTA application?

You may receive the return from the Canadian authorities very quickly! Indeed, some travelers receive a return after only a few minutes, but it may also take longer, sometimes a few days. You will receive an e-mail containing the eTA number which will allow you to check its eTA status afterwards.

Your eTA is valid for five years, which means that you can travel to Canada several times, without ever exceeding six months on Canadian territory. All the provinces of Canada are open to you: Quebec, Ontario, Aberta, British Columbia, etc.

This five-year rule only applies if you still have the same passport as when you applied for eTA. Otherwise, you must renew your eTA.

Good to know: if your eTA request has been rejected, you may have made a mistake in the form, you can send a new request. Otherwise, obtaining a visa from the consular services will be inevitable.