Who Needs an eTA for Canada?
The eTA for Canada is a mandatory travel permit to be able to fly to Canada without a visa. You can apply for an eTA quickly and easily through the online application form. The price is €19.95 per person.
What is the eTA Canada?
The abbreviation eTA stands for ” electronic Travel Authorization “. The eTA is an electronic permit that business travelers and tourists need to be able to fly to Canada without a visa. In French it is not called eTA, but “Autorisation de Voyage Électronique”, or AVE Canada.
The eTA is not a visa, but it is similar. Whether a visa or an eTA is required for Canada depends on the nationality of the traveler and the manner of travel.
The Canadian government has agreed with all the countries that are part of the European Union the possibility of traveling without the need for a visa. As a consequence, Spaniards can also cross the land border between the United States and Canada without the need for a visa or an eTA. This also applies to arrivals by ship or cruise ship.
However, it does not apply to arrivals by plane, to limit security risks. The Canadian government has decided to carry out an additional control of all passengers arriving by plane, even if they do not need to be in possession of a visa thanks to their nationality.
Since November 2016 it is mandatory to apply for a Canada eTA for any flight to Canada, also for a stopover. Check-in is only possible after the application has been approved.
The eTA application can be submitted online through this website and is approved by the Canadian immigration service; “Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada” (IRCC).
The eTA Canada is not a physical document, but a digital permit. Have you received a confirmation that your eTA has been granted? So your passport number is in the database of the Canadian immigration service.
This way your airline will be able to check on the basis of your passport number that your eTA application has been approved.
Frequently asked questions about the eTA
Do I need an eTA Canada?
Are you flying to Canada? Then you must apply for a Canada eTA before you leave. Children also need to have their own eTA.
Only in the following cases is it not necessary to apply for an eTA:
• You are traveling with a Canadian or US passport
• You are traveling with a Canadian
“Permanent Resident Card” (PR-card)
• You are traveling with a Canadian “Permanent Resident Travel Document” (PRTD)
• You are traveling with a Canadian “Confirmation of Permanent Residence Document” (CoPR)
• You are traveling with a Canadian “Refugee Travel Document”
• You are traveling with a Canadian visa (Temporary Resident Permit)
• You are a diplomat accredited by the Canadian government
• You are an aviation inspector or cabin crew
member
• You are a member of the non-civilian component of an armed forces under the Visiting Forces Act and traveling on duty
Instead of an eTA, you can also apply for a visa for your trip to Canada. However, it is more expensive, more complicated and takes more time than applying for an eTA.
Therefore, the immigration service recommends that you only apply for a visa if you do not meet the eTA requirements , or if you wish to stay in Canada for more than six months .
Are you traveling to Canada by train, bus, car, ship or cruise ship? Then there is no need to apply for an eTA Canada.
However, you must meet the same requirements as travelers traveling on an eTA. An eTA is not required for domestic flights within Canada.
Does the plane only stop in Canada to refuel? In that case it is not aescsala , but from a technical stop. An eTA is not required for a stopover if you are flying to or from the United States, do not get off the plane, have the necessary documents to enter the US, and have never violated any visa-related laws.
Do you have a Canadian work permit or a Canadian study permit ? In that case you also need an eTA, which you will automatically receive with your study permit or work permit.. If that eTA is still valid, you do not need to apply for a new one.
However, sometimes the eTA expires before the permit; in that case you do have to apply for an eTA if you want to travel back to Canada.
Do you live in Saint Pierre and Miquelon and travel with a French passport? Then you do not need an eTA to travel between Saint Pierre and Miquelon and Canada.
Are you traveling from a country other than Saint Pierre and Miquelon to Canada? Or are you not traveling with a French passport? Then you do need an eTA or a visa to travel to Canada.
What is the validity of my Canada eTA?
The Canada eTA is valid for up to five years for unlimited travel
The eTA is valid for up to five years from the time your application is approved. The eTA is always linked to the passport with which the application was submitted.
Therefore, the validity of your Canada eTA expires as soon as you start using a new passport. Your eTA only needs to be valid upon arrival in Canada, not necessarily for the duration of your stay in the country.
However, the passport with which the eTA was applied for must be valid for the duration of the stay in Canada.
The eTA Canada is valid for a stay of up to six months per trip
During the five-year validity period, an unlimited number of trips to Canada can be made using the same eTA. Upon each arrival in Canada, the maximum length of stay is indicated by a stamp in the passport; normally it is six months. In rare cases, a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) official may stamp a shorter maximum stay in the passport.
For example, if you cannot prove that you have sufficient financial resources to finance a stay of six months. Or if it is suspected that you have only left Canada for a short period of time to avoid the maximum stay of six months.
Do you want to stay in Canada for more than six consecutive months?
Then apply for a visa instead of an eTA. Are you already in Canada on the basis of an eTA and wish to stay longer than the date stamped on your passport upon arrival in Canada?
Then you can request an extension online; this extension is called “ Visitor Record ”. You can apply for the Visitor Record up to 30 days before the date you were originally supposed to leave Canada.
Your eTA validity expires if you pose a health or safety risk
On the Canada eTA application form you have to answer some security questions. Its purpose is to assess whether it poses a risk to the safety or health of Canada and its citizens.
Check the eTA Canada requirements page to find out what the risks are. Is it possible that it poses a risk after the eTA has been granted? Then the validity of your eTA will expire immediately.
What requirements must I meet?
Passport Requirements
An eTA can only be applied for with a passport issued by Spain or another visa-exempt country , including all countries in the European Union.
You must travel to Canada with the same passport with which you apply for the eTA. The eTA only has to be valid on arrival. With an emergency passport you cannot use an eTA Canada.
It cannot be electronically associated with your eTA. However, it is possible to apply for a Canadian visa .
The purpose of your trip to Canada
For the following travel purposes it is sufficient to apply for an eTA Canada and no visa or permit is required:
• A tourist trip, such as a vacation or a visit to friends or relatives
• Study or exchange lasting no more than six months
• A business trip , such as visiting a business partner, a meeting, a fair or a conference
• Stopover ; you can leave the airport in the meantime, if you wish
Also journalists, film crews, judges, referees, athletes, coaches and artists with their essential supports can use the eTA when traveling as part of their work.
This also applies to academics who assess or review research projects. You can also attend training courses if you are traveling on an eTA.
They can also be self-taught training courses, but only at your employer’s Canadian branch, which must be located outside of Canada. Guest speakers at events can only travel on an eTA if the event lasts a maximum of five days.
All other business travel to Canada is only allowed on an eTA if no manual labor is performed. The provision of after-sales services is allowed, as well as the purchase or sale of products or services, or the organization of a trade fair. But this is not allowed if it requires manual labor, such as setting up a pavilion at a fair.
If the job is highly skilled, more is allowed. In that case, the job must be at the managerial or university level. Manual labor may be performed, but not more than 15 consecutive days during a six-month period or 30 consecutive days per year.
Do you want to carry out other activities than those mentioned above, such as performing tasks for Canadian organizations, or entering the Canadian labor market? then you need a work permit (” work permit “). Screening on arrival in Canada Travelers holding an eTA are randomly interviewed upon
arrival in Canada.
If this happens, you must be able to convince a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer that:
• You will be leaving Canada within six months, for example, because of your job, family or residence outside of Canada. You have income outside of Canada (from a job or subsidy), sufficient to support yourself and your family
• You have enough financial resources to pay for your stay and return trip
• You have never broken a visa-related law, and you do not have intention to do it
Are you traveling to Canada for business? So you may be asked for a letter of invitation from a (potential) Canadian business partner upon arrival. Your business partner must be available 24/7 for any questions from the CBSA.
You may also be asked for written confirmation from your employer of the purpose of your business trip to Canada. This applies to both travelers in possession of an eTA and those with a visa.
Risk to the safety or public health of Canada
Do you pose a potential public health or safety risk to Canada? So you cannot travel to Canada with an eTA. Article 36 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) details in which cases this applies.
In the following cases, among others, an eTA is not sufficient and you will need to apply for a visa:
• If you are expected to impose a higher than average burden on security or health services in Canada
• If you have active tuberculosis or syphilis active, or have been in close contact with someone who has one of these illnesses
• If there is a possibility of sudden incapacity (physical or mental)
• If you may exhibit unexpected or aggressive behavior
• If you have ever broken a visa law of Canada or any other country
• If you are being prosecuted for a crime, even if there has not been a conviction yet
• If you have a criminal record or have ever committed a crime, such as reckless driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, robbery, assault, battery, identity fraud, illegal trafficking or possession of drugs or other controlled substances
• If associated with espionage, terrorism, a coup, war crimes, human rights abuses, human trafficking, money laundering, or if you are part of a group that is carrying out or has carried out any of these activities
• If one of your family members is inadmissible for any of the above reasons
I have lived in Canada, what should I do?
Many people who have once lived in Canada are still listed in the Canadian population register as residents or citizens of Canada, often unknowingly.
This is because Canadian resident or citizen status never automatically expires. Not even if all Canadian documents have expired years ago.
Have you ever had the status of resident (resident / permanent resident / landed immigrant / immigrant reçu) or citizen (citizen / national)? Or have you ever had a Canadian Permanent Resident Card (PR-card) or a Canadian passport?
In all of these cases, you can only apply for an eTA if you have officially terminated your status in Canada. You may also lose rights accrued in Canada, such as retirement you receive from Canada.
Residents and citizens of Canada can only travel to Canada as follows:
• With a Canadian passport (or emergency passport), which can be applied for at the Canadian consulate.
• With a new Permanent Resident card, which can only be applied for if you are currently in Canada
• With a PRTD – only if you have been in Canada for at least two of the last five years
• With an eTA or visa – only if you have officially canceled your status in Canada
• In exceptional cases – you can only apply to the IRCC in urgent situations
• With an ESTA – only if you first travel by plane to the United States and then continue your journey to Canada by car, train, bus or ship.
I have a criminal record or a traffic ticket, what should I do?
There is a difference between infractions and crimes. Violations do not usually cause problems when applying for an eTA Canada, but crimes do.
Have you ever driven a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or other narcotics? The Canadian government does not consider it an infraction, but a crime. Therefore, in that case it is not possible to apply for an eTA.
Have you ever received a traffic ticket or committed another violation?
Then you can apply for an eTA. Unless it was a violation of a visa-related law or if it was driving under the influence of alcohol; in those cases you do need a visa.
Do you have a criminal record or have you ever committed a crime?
Or have you been arrested, prosecuted, or convicted of a crime, such as driving under the influence of alcohol, violence, assault, fraud, or other criminal activity? In all of these cases, you cannot apply for an eTA. However, you can always apply for a Canada visa.
Do I need to travel to make my request?
No, you can easily apply for the Canada eTA online through this website. It is not necessary to visit the consulate, the embassy or another type of counter.
Need help? On the frequently asked questions page you will find the answer to almost all questions about the eTA Canada. You will also find explanations in the application form, by clicking on a field to fill in or on the question mark icon.
What are the Steps to Apply for Study Permit in Canada?
Benefits of Traveling to Canada to Study or Work
Best destinations to apply for a Working Holiday Visa
About Author
