Travelers from visa-free countries (see eligible countries) must apply for an eTA in order to travel to Canada by air. Even if one is from an eligible country, one must still complete an application form and pay the associated fee. Here we will show you how to complete the form:
Step 1: Travel document
The first selection you have to make is which travel document you will travel on. Here you can choose from a list including the following options:
- Passport – ordinary/regular: These are passports issued to citizens for e.g. tourism and business travel.
- Passport – diplomatic: These are passports issued to government officials, diplomats, representatives, and delegates.
- Passport – official: These are passports issued to citizens who are traveling on official government business. They are labeled ‘Official’ on the front cover.
- Passport – service: These are passports issued to citizens who are traveling on official government business. They are labeled ‘Service’ on the front cover.
- Emergency/temporary travel document: These are travel documents issued in urgent situations, in which issuance of a temporary passport is impossible.
Almost all passports are the Ordinary/Regular type, so unless you are traveling on official government business or have been issued an emergency travel document, you most likely hold a Ordinary/Regular passport. Special types of passport normally also carry a special design or designation. After you’ve selected the passport type, you have to select which country issued your passport and which nationality is noted on your passport. Citizens of Israel, Taiwan, and Romania, as well as Lawful Permanent Residents in the United States (i.e. Green Card-holders) must provide some additional information:
- Israeli nationals must answer the following additional questions:
- Which country issued your passport?
- For this trip will you use a national Israeli passport?
- Taiwanese travelers must answer the following additional questions:
- Which country issued your passport?
- For this trip will you use a passport issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan with you personal identification number?
- Taiwan personal identification number
- Romanian travelers must answer the following additional questions:
- What travel document do you plan to use to travel to Canada?
- Select the code that matches the one on your pasport
- Will you use an electronic passport for this trip?
- Lawful Permanent Residents of the US must answer the following additional questions:
- Which country issued your passport?
- What is the nationality noted on this passport?
- Are you a lawful permanent reisdent of the US with a valid alien registration card (Green Card)?
- Green Card number
- Green Card expiration date
Step 2: Passport details
First you have to enter the passport number, which is located on the top of the passport information page. Most passport numbers are between 8 and 11 characters, so make sure the number is around that length.
It is important that you enter this information correctly; if the number you submit doesn’t match your actual passport number, you might be denied boarding.
Then you must enter your surname(s)/last name(s) and then given name(s)/first name(s).
You must enter your names as they appear in the machine-readable area at the bottom of the passport information page.
Next you must enter your date of birth, gender, country of birth as well as your city of birth. This information should match the information on your passport. Afterwards, fill out the date of issue and date of expiry from your passport. This information is found at the bottom left corner of your passport.
Step 3: Personal details
In this section you have to provide details concerning your martial status, as well as information about any previous Canadian eTA/visa applications you have obtained.
Step 4: Employment information
First you have to select the area of occupation (i.e. finance/administration, student, retired, etc..). If you can’t find an exact match, you should just choose the closest match. Then pick your job title. Once again, if you can’t find your exact title, you just have to choose something approximately similar. When you’ve found your job title, please provide the name and address of your employer, as well as the year you started on your job.
Step 5: Contact information
In this section, you should enter your email and contact language (i.e. in which language would you like to be contacted), as well as your address.
When filling out your address, be aware that your house number and street name have to be submitted in separate fields.
Step 6: Background questions and consent
Finally every applicant must answer the following questions:
- Have you ever been refused a visa or permit, denied entry to, or ordered to leave Canada or any other country/territory?
- Have you ever committed, been arrested for, been charged with or convicted of any criminal offense in any country/territory?
- In the past two years, were you diagnosed with tuberculosis or have you been in close contact with a person with tuberculosis?
- Do you have any of the following conditions: Untreated syphilis, untreated drug or alcohol addition or untreated mental condition with psychosis?
Once you have finished the questionnaire, you have to agree to the consent and declaration and then sign by entering your name.
Then you just have to pay the application fee, and you will receive your eTA at the email address you provided, typically within the same day, although it may take up to 72 hours to process your application.
We hope this guide was helpful. You are now ready to apply for ETA Canada.