Canada's eTA: how the electronic Travel Authorization, ArriveCAN and airport kiosks work

What the eTA is and who needs it

The eTA is run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). IRCC says visa-exempt foreign nationals need an eTA to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport ².

US citizens are exempt. So are lawful permanent residents of the United States who hold valid status there ². Dual Canadian citizens need a Canadian passport, not an eTA, to fly to or through Canada ¹.

Citizens of some countries that normally need a visa may be able to apply for an eTA instead ². IRCC says this applies to air travel only. Those travellers need a visitor visa when arriving by car, bus, train or boat, including a cruise ship ². This page does not list the conditions for that route, as the IRCC page consulted did not set them out.

Fee, validity and how to apply

As of 5 June 2026, IRCC says an eTA costs CAN$7. To apply, a person needs a valid passport, a credit or debit card and an email address ¹.

The eTA is valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first ². IRCC says most applicants get approval by email within minutes. Some requests take several days if the applicant is asked for supporting documents ².

Primary Inspection Kiosks and eGates

At Canada's main international airports, arriving travellers confirm their identity and make an on-screen customs and immigration declaration at a Primary Inspection Kiosk or an eGate. These are run by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) ³. As of 3 February 2026, kiosks are in use at Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto Pearson Terminals 1 and 3, Billy Bishop Toronto City, Ottawa, Montreal-Trudeau, Quebec City, Halifax and Hamilton. eGates are in use at Toronto Pearson Terminal 1 ³. At airports without them, travellers fill in a declaration card ³.

The steps are the same on both machines: choose a language, scan the travel document, take a photo, verify fingerprints if required, answer the declaration questions, then take the printed receipt to a border services officer ⁵. Up to five travellers can share one kiosk. eGates take one person at a time ⁵.

Travellers aged 14 and over may use an eGate. Anyone travelling with children under 14 must use a kiosk ⁴. Travellers with a non-machine-readable document, a document other than a passport or Canadian permanent resident card, unaccompanied children under 14 and refugee claimants must see an officer in person ⁴. NEXUS members use their own kiosks and eGates ⁴.

The CBSA says foreign nationals can usually stay up to six months from first entry or until the passport expires. Travellers who need a passport stamp can ask an officer after using the machine ⁴.

What the kiosks collect

The kiosk or eGate takes a photo, compares it with the travel document and prints it on the receipt so the officer can check it ⁶. Fingerprints are checked only for people who gave them when applying for a work permit, study permit, temporary resident permit, visitor visa or permanent residence ⁶.

The CBSA says data entered at the machine is encrypted and sent to the agency. The device deletes it once the receipt prints. The data and a copy of the receipt are kept in CBSA systems under federal information, privacy and security policies ⁶.

ArriveCAN and the Advance Declaration

ArriveCAN began as a pandemic tool for public health reporting run by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) ⁸. On 26 September 2022 the government said that from 1 October 2022 travellers would no longer need to submit health information through the ArriveCAN app or website, and airlines would no longer need to check ArriveCAN entries before boarding ¹¹.

The CBSA added an optional Advance CBSA Declaration to ArriveCAN in 2021. It went live at Vancouver on 28 September 2021 and Toronto Pearson on 14 December 2021 ⁸. Travellers submit the customs and immigration declaration up to 72 hours before arrival. The kiosk retrieves it when the passport or permanent resident card is scanned ⁸. The CBSA says the data is held in its Protected B cloud, encrypted in transit and at rest, and deleted after 72 hours if not used. It says the data is not used for risk assessment before arrival ⁸.

In a video page dated 26 September 2022, the CBSA calls Advance Declaration an optional feature available at certain airports ¹⁰. As of 3 October 2025, the CBSA tells travellers to sign in to the ArriveCAN app or web version to submit a declaration 72 hours before arriving ⁹. Its kiosk guidance, updated 24 September 2024, points travellers to the same feature ⁷.

Audit findings on ArriveCAN

The Auditor General of Canada tabled Report 1, ArriveCAN, in the House of Commons on 12 February 2024 ¹³. The Auditor General said her office estimated ArriveCAN cost about $59.5 million. She said the CBSA lacked complete and accurate financial records, so the exact cost could not be calculated ¹².

She said there was little documentation for a non-competitive contract award and that the audit concluded best value for money was not achieved ¹². She said PHAC and the CBSA did not clearly define their roles for ArriveCAN from April 2020 to July 2021 ¹².

Official sites

IRCC's own page gives the eTA fee as CAN$7 as of 5 June 2026 ¹. The Advance Declaration is filed through the ArriveCAN app or its web version ⁹.

• Apply for an eTA through IRCC on canada.ca ¹
• Check the fee against CAN$7 ¹
• Use kiosks or eGates on arrival where available ³
• Advance Declaration is optional and can be filed up to 72 hours ahead ^7,9