eTA Canada Visa Application Process

Updated on Oct 17, 2023 | Canada eTA
A Canadian eTA, or Electronic Travel Authorization, is a required travel documents for citizens of eTA eligible countries. Applying for an eTA is a simple process yet does take some preparation.

eTA Canada Visa, or Canadian Electronic Travel Authorization, is a mandatory travel documents for citizens of visa-exempt countries. If you are a citizen of a Canada eTA eligible country you will need Canada eTA for layover or transit, or for tourism and sightseeing, or for business purposes, or for medical treatment .

Applying for an Canada eTA is a straighforward process and whole process can be completed online. However its a good idea to understand what are essential Canada eTA requirements before you begin the process. In order to apply for your eTA Canada Visa, you will have to complete the application form on this website, provide passport, employment and travel details, and pay online.

Essential Requirements

Before you can complete your application for eTA Canada Visa, you will need to have three (3) things: a valid email adress, a way to pay online (debit card or credit card) and a valid passport.

  1. A valid email address: You will need a valid email address to apply for eTA Canada Visa application. As part of the application process, you are required to provide your email address and all communication regarding your application will be done via email. After you complete the Canada eTA application, your Canada eTA should arrive in your email within 72 hours.
  2. Online form of payment: After providing all the details regarding your trip to Canada, you are required to make the payment online. We use secure payment gateway to process all payments. You will need either a valid Debit or Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) to make your payment.
  3. Valid passport: You must have a valid passport that has not expired. If you do not have a passport, then you must apply for one immediately since eTA Canada Visa application cannot be completed without the passport information. Remember that Canada eTA Visa is electronically linked to your passport.

Application Form and Language support

eTA Canada Visa Language Support

To start your application, go to www.eta-canada-visa.org and click on Apply Online. This will bring you to Canada eTA Application Form. This website provides support for multiple languages like French, Spanish, Italian, dutch, Norwegian, Danish and more. Select your language as shown and you can see the application form translated in your native language.

If you have trouble filling the application form, there are multiple resources available to help you. There is an Frequently Asked Questions page and general requirements for the Canadian eTA page. If you need any help or require any clarifications you should contact our helpdesk for support and guidance.

Time required to complete eTA Canada Visa application

It typically takes 10-30 minutes to complete eTA application. If you have all the information ready, it could take as little as 10 minutes to complete the form and make your payment. Since eTA Canada Visa is a 100% online process, most Canada eTA application results are mailed within 24 hours to your email address. If you do not have all information ready, it could take upto an hour to finish the application.

Application Form Questions and Sections

Here are the questions and sections on the eTA Canada Visa Application form:

Personal Details

  • Family/last name
  • First name or give name
  • Gender
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Country of birth
  • Email Address
  • Martial status

Passport Details

  • Passport type (Ordinary or Diplomatic or Official or Service)
  • Issuing Country of Passport
  • Passport number
  • Passport date of issue
  • Passport expiry date
  • Are you a lawful permanent resident of the United States with a valid alien registration card (Green Card)? (optional)*
  • USA Permanent Resident Card number (optional)*
  • Green Card Expiration Date (optional)*

Address and Travel Details

  • Street name, town or city, postal or zip code
  • Purpose of visit (tourist, transit or business)
  • Expected arrival date
  • Have your applied for Canada before

Employment details

  • Occupation(select from dropown)
  • Job title
  • Name of company / university
  • Start date
  • Town or city
  • Country

NOTE: You may need to enter Green Card details if your country of passport does not automatically qualify for Canada eTA

Background questions

  • Have you ever been refused a visa or permit, denied entry to or ordered to leave Canada or another country?
  • Have you ever committed, been arrested for, been convicted of any criminal offence in any country?
  • In the past two years, were you diagnosed with tuberculosis?
  • Do you have a serious medical condition for which you are receiving regular treatment?
  • Consent and declaration

Entering passport information

It is essential to enter correct Passport Number and Issuing Country of Passport since your eTA Canada Visa application is linked directly to your passport and you must travel with this passport.

Passport number

  • Look at your passport information page and enter the passport number at the top of this page
  • Passport numbers are mostly 8 to 11 characters longer. If you are entering a number that is too short or too long or outside of this range, it is pretty like that you are entering a wrong number.
  • Passport numbers are a combination of alphabeters and number, so be extra careful with letter O and number 0, letter I and the number 1.
  • Passport numbers should never contain special characters like a hyphen or spaces.
Passport Number

Issuing Country of Passport

  • Select the country code shown exactly in the passport information page.
  • To figure out the country look for "Code" or "Issuing Country" or "Authority"

Passport Country Code

If passport information viz. passport number or country code is incorrect in eTA Canada Visa application, you may not be able to board your flight to Canada.

  • You may only find out at the airport if you made a mistake.
  • You will need to reapply for eTA Canada Visa at the airport.
  • It may not be possible to get Canada eTA at the last minute and it can take upto 72 hours in certain scenarios.

What happens after making Payment

Once you have completed the Application Form page, you will be prompted to make a payment. All payments are processed via Secure PayPal payment gateway. Once your payment is complete, you should recieve your Canada eTA Visa in your email inbox within 72 hours.

Next Steps: After applying and making payment for Canada eTA

Please apply for a Canada eTA 72 hours in advance of your flight.