eTA vs Visitor Visa for Canada: Which Do You Need?
It depends on your passport. A visa-exempt citizen flying to Canada needs an eTA: a $7 online approval linked to the passport, valid up to 5 years. A citizen of a visa-required country needs a visitor visa (TRV): a $100 application for a visa placed in the passport, needed however you arrive, though some can fly on an eTA instead (IRPR s.7.01). US citizens need neither.
$7
IRCC’s fee for an eTA
$100
IRCC’s fee for a visitor visa (TRV), per person
$85
Biometrics for a visitor visa, per person, where required
IRCC sets these fees. Biometrics are capped at $170 CAD for a family applying together. The Fee Calculator totals the cost for your group.
What is an eTA, and who needs one?
An Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is a pre-entry requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals flying to Canada. You fill out a short online form and pay the fee. Most applications are approved within minutes; some take several days if IRCC asks you to submit supporting documents.
The eTA is electronically tied to your passport number, not stamped in the passport. It is valid for up to 5 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, and a single eTA allows multiple trips. If you renew your passport, you must apply for a new eTA.
Under IRPR s.7.1(1) the eTA is required only when flying to Canada. The single marine exception is a vessel arriving directly from St. Pierre and Miquelon. Arriving by land, or by water in any other case, does not trigger an eTA requirement for anyone.
What is a visitor visa (TRV), and who needs one?
A Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), commonly called a visitor visa, is issued to nationals of visa-required countries who wish to visit Canada. It is a physical counterfoil (label) that IRCC places in your passport after you submit a full application.
You apply online (on paper only if you cannot apply online), usually give biometrics (fingerprints and a photo) at a Visa Application Centre (VAC), and submit supporting documents, usually including evidence of funds and ties to your home country. You wait for a decision before you can travel at all.
A visa officer decides whether to issue a single-entry or multiple-entry visa and how long it is valid: generally up to 10 years, or until your passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. With a single-entry TRV, you need a new visa to come back after you leave Canada, unless you only visited the US or St. Pierre and Miquelon and return before your approved stay ends.
The TRV allows you to seek entry; a CBSA officer decides the actual authorized stay at the port of entry, generally up to 6 months for visitors.
How do the eTA and the visitor visa compare?
| Point | eTA | Visitor visa (TRV) |
|---|---|---|
| Who needs it | Visa-exempt foreign nationals flying to Canada | Nationals of visa-required countries |
| Cost | $7 CAD, paid online at the time of application | $100 CAD per person, plus $85 CAD for biometrics where required |
| What it is | Electronically tied to your passport number | A counterfoil (label) placed in your passport |
| How you arrive | Air only, plus a vessel arriving directly from St. Pierre and Miquelon | Air, land or sea |
| Validity | Up to 5 years or until your passport expires | Generally up to 10 years, or until the passport or biometrics expire |
| Entries | A single eTA allows multiple trips | Single or multiple entry, as the visa officer decides |
| Processing | Most applications are approved within minutes | A full visa application, with biometrics and supporting documents |
| New passport | A new passport needs a new eTA application | Bring both passports, or get a new visa in the new passport, as IRCC recommends |
Which passports need an eTA, and which need a visa?
IRPR s.190 sets out who is visa-exempt (its Schedule 1.1 lists the exempt countries, with further exemptions for certain nationalities, documents and purposes of entry); everyone else needs a TRV by default (IRPR s.7). The distinction is based on your citizenship, not residency, with one exception: US lawful permanent residents are visa-exempt (IRPR s.190(1)(c)).
- Visa-exempt, eTA to fly
- United States (exempt from eTA too); United Kingdom; Australia, New Zealand; every EU member state (Romania: electronic passports only, IRPR s.190(2.1)); Japan, South Korea; Chile, Israel (Israel: national Israeli passport holders, IRPR s.190(2)(c)).
- Visa-required, TRV
- India, China, Pakistan, Vietnam, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan.
- Visa-required, eTA possible by air
- Mexico, Costa Rica, Philippines: a citizen flying in may apply for an eTA instead if they held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years or hold a valid US nonimmigrant visa on the day they apply (IRPR s.7.01(2)).
This list is not exhaustive, and requirements can change by regulation. The Visa Checker covers other passports; always verify your citizenship against the current IRCC website before you book.
The rule
Section 190 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) sets out who is exempt from the temporary resident visa requirement.
What about dual nationals, transit and former citizens?
- Dual nationals
- If you hold one visa-exempt and one visa-required citizenship, you are generally allowed to travel on the visa-exempt passport and would need an eTA (if flying) rather than a TRV.
- Dual Canadian citizens
- IRCC says a dual Canadian citizen must travel with a valid Canadian passport to fly to or transit through Canada; American-Canadians can travel with a valid Canadian or US passport. A Canadian citizen does not need an eTA or TRV.
- Permanent residents of Canada
- They do not need a TRV to return to Canada. They must carry a valid PR card, or obtain a Permanent Resident Travel Document if the PR card has expired before flying.
- Transit through a Canadian airport
- Visa-exempt nationals connecting on an international flight need an eTA, which covers both visits and transits. Visa-required nationals need a TRV, an eTA if eligible under IRPR s.7.01, or a transit visa for a connection of 48 hours or less; some may transit without a visa under IRCC’s Transit Without Visa Program and China Transit Program. US citizens and US lawful permanent residents can transit through Canada without a visa.
- Former Canadian citizens
- Those who lost their citizenship (e.g., through renunciation) and now hold citizenship in a visa-exempt country need an eTA to fly to Canada. The Citizenship Act was changed in 2009, in 2015 and again on December 15, 2025 (Bill C-3), and some people who had lost citizenship or never held it under older rules are citizens now. You can apply to IRCC for a citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship).
Which free tool checks your own case?
- Visa CheckerVisa or eTA, by passport and how you travel
- Fee CalculatorCurrent government fees, itemized
- Admissibility ExplorerThe IRPA admissibility grounds, one question at a time
Free, with no account. What you enter in a tool stays in your browser.
What do people ask?
Is an eTA the same as a visitor visa for Canada?
No. An eTA is a $7 online approval, electronically linked to your passport, for citizens of visa-exempt countries who fly to Canada. A visitor visa (TRV) is a $100 application that ends with a visa label in your passport, for citizens of visa-required countries, whatever way they arrive. IRPR s.190 sets out who is visa-exempt. The Visa Checker shows which one your passport needs.
Do I need an eTA for Canada if I have a visa?
No. The eTA is for citizens of visa-exempt countries. If your passport needs a visitor visa and you hold a valid TRV, that visa is your travel document for air, land and sea, and you do not add an eTA. A dual national who travels on a visa-exempt passport uses an eTA with that passport instead. The Visitor Visa Canada guide covers the TRV application.
Do I need to print my Canada eTA?
No. An eTA is not a stamp or a paper document: it is electronically linked to the passport number you applied with, and airlines check it electronically when you board. What matters is travelling on that same passport. If you renew your passport, the old eTA no longer works for flights, and you need a new eTA linked to the new passport. The eTA and Criminal Records guide covers refusals.
What does a Canada visa look like?
A Canadian visitor visa (TRV) is a physical counterfoil, a label that IRCC places in your passport after it approves your application. It shows the date by which you must arrive in Canada, which is not the end of your stay; an officer sets its validity, generally up to 10 years or until the passport or biometrics expire. An eTA has no physical form at all. A visa lets you travel to the border; a CBSA officer still decides entry. The Visitor Visa Canada guide explains the process.
How much does an eTA cost compared to a visitor visa?
An eTA costs $7 CAD, paid once online. A visitor visa (TRV) costs $100 CAD per person in government fees, and most applicants also pay $85 CAD for biometrics, up to $170 CAD for a family applying together. Most eTA applications are approved within minutes; the TRV is a full visa application. The Fee Calculator totals the cost for your group.
How long is an eTA or a TRV valid for?
An eTA is generally valid for up to 5 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. For a TRV, an officer chooses single or multiple entry and the validity, generally up to 10 years or until the passport or biometrics expire, whichever comes first. Validity is not the length of stay: a border officer sets that at each entry, generally up to 6 months. The How Long Can a Visitor Stay in Canada guide explains stays.
Can you work on an eTA in Canada?
No. Neither an eTA nor a visitor visa allows you to work in Canada, and neither generally allows study in a program longer than six months. Both only let you travel as a visitor. Working without authorization breaks the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (s.30(1)), and a foreign national who contravenes the Act is inadmissible for non-compliance (s.41(a)). To work, you need the right work permit. The Work Permit Canada page explains the options.
Do US citizens need an eTA or a visitor visa to enter Canada?
No. US citizens need neither an eTA nor a TRV; the CBSA recommends travelling with a valid passport. US permanent residents (Green Card holders) are also visa-exempt under IRPR s.190(1)(c) and eTA-exempt since April 26, 2022 under IRPR s.7.1(3)(b). Flying in, they carry their national passport plus a valid Green Card. A criminal record can still bar entry. The Visiting Canada from the US guide covers the border rules.
Part of:Visiting Canada
- Do I Need a Visa to Visit Canada? By Country
- Visiting Canada from the US: What Americans Need to Know
- Canada Super Visa for Parents and Grandparents 2026
The textbook on this subject
Volume 1: Entering Canada $79
Six IRPA inadmissibility grounds (s.36 and s.38 to s.42), explained with the official text cited.
Follow on Facebook to hear when the library opens (opens in a new tab)Official sources
This page is based on law and policy published by the Government of Canada.