Your eTA Canada is valid for a maximum of five years. The validity will expire if you acquire a new passport. As long as your passport is valid, the eTA allows you to travel to Canada an unlimited number of times during that validity. You can stay in the country for up to six consecutive months at a time.

Your eTA is linked to your passport

Immediately after you have paid the costs of your eTA Canada, the processing of your application will start. On average, it will then take 3 days before your eTA is granted. From the moment it is granted, the eTA is valid. It is then linked to your passport, or more specifically: your passport number.

Your airline will ask for your passport number at check-in. By verifying your passport number in the immigration serviceʼs system, it can be checked whether you have a valid eTA. As a result, it is not necessary to print out the proof of granting and take it with you on your journey.

The eTA Canada is valid long enough for an unforgettable trip

Your eTA is valid for a maximum of five years

From the moment your eTA Canada is granted, it is valid for five years, or until the passport with which you applied for the eTA expires. Did you acquire a new passport after the eTA was approved? If so, it will naturally also have a new passport number on it. This no longer allows your airline to check whether you have a valid eTA. Do you want to travel to Canada with a new or different passport? Then you first need to submit a completely new eTA application.

Each stay may last up to six months

The fact that the eTA Canada is valid for five years does not mean that you can stay in Canada for five years. You will receive a stamp in your passport upon arrival. This will state the date on which you must leave the country at the latest. Usually this is exactly six months after the day of arrival. However, in these situations the period may be shorter:

• If you only left Canada for a short time in order to circumvent the maximum length of stay
• If you do not have sufficient financial resources to stay in Canada longer
• If you cannot substantiate what you plan to do in Canada during the requested length of stay

Extending the validity of the eTA Canada

Do you want to stay in Canada for more than six consecutive months? If you are already in the country, you can apply for an extension. However, there is no guarantee in advance that that application will be approved. Do you expect to stay in Canada for more than six months before you leave? Then apply for a visa instead of an eTA. Applying for a visa is a bit more complicated and time-consuming, but this way you can be certain that you can stay in the country longer than 6 months.

If the validity of the eTA (almost) expires
Is your eTA about to expire and are you currently not in Canada? Then you can submit a completely new application. Your old eTA will then be replaced by a new one, which means that a new validity period of up to five years will start anew.
Renew your eTA by submitting a new application

Other reasons that can make the validity of your eTA expire

If you wish to travel to Canada with an eTA, you must meet a number of requirements. An important requirement is that you do not pose a risk to safety. Is there anything that makes the immigration service think you might pose a risk to safety? If so, the validity of the eTA can be revoked immediately. Even if you have already received proof of approval. The same applies if it appears that you have not complied with an immigration or visa related law in any country.

Did you find an error you made in the eTA form? Then you must apply for a new eTA Canada. If that application is approved, it will immediately overwrite your old eTA and the problem will be solved. Is the new application rejected or not processed at all, for example because you do not meet the requirements? Then you can try to apply for a Canada visa.