Leniency period for Canada's new Electronic Travel Authorization

Starting November 10, 2016, all visa-exempt travellers (except United States citizens) including Czech citizens, will need an eTA to board their flight. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, will need a valid Canadian passport to board their flight to Canada otherwise they will experience delays.

Although eTA is a new requirement for travellers, applying for one is a simple online process that costs CAN$7. Most eTA applications are approved within minutes of applying. However, some applications can take several days to process, so travellers are encouraged to apply booking their flight to Canada.

The Government of Canada website, www.Canada.ca/eTA, is the only valid site where travellers can apply for an eTA.Travellers are advised to be cautious of other sites that appear legitimate but are charging more than CAN$7 to submit eTA applications.

An eTA is valid for five years or until the traveller’s passport expires, whichever comes first. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, cannot apply for an eTA and will need a valid Canadian passport to board their flight, starting November 10, 2016.

In March 2016, Canada introduced the eTA requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada temporarily by air. A six-month leniency period was put in place so that travellers who are unfamiliar with eTA could still board their flight to Canada. This leniency period, which was set to end on September 29, has now been extended until November 9, 2016.

As it can take time to get a Canadian passport, Canadian travellers should apply for one as soon as they can and plan travel accordingly.

Other facts

• Canadian permanent residents cannot apply for an eTA and, as usual, must show their valid permanent resident card when travelling to Canada.

• Citizens of the U.S. are exempt from the eTA requirement. U.S. lawful permanent residents need an eTA and must present a valid U.S. permanent resident card (Green Card) and a valid passport when they check-in for their flight to Canada.