How long is an eTA for Canada valid for?
An eTA is valid for 5 years. This does not mean that you are allowed to stay in Canada for 5 years. The travel authorisation can be used for multiple trips to Canada, and each stay is limited to a maximum of 6 months. On this page, you can find more information on the validity of the eTA.
Validity period of the Canada eTA
An eTA is valid for 5 years. This period begins as soon as the travel authorisation is issued. You do not need to know exactly when you will travel to Canada when submitting your application, because you are allowed to deviate from the expected date of arrival entered in the application form. Since the eTA is valid for 5 years and allows for multiple trips within that period, you can submit your application far in advance of your departure. In certain cases, the validity of the eTA ends sooner, for example if the passport that was used for the application expires earlier. Find more information about this under the header “In which cases is the eTA valid for less than 5 years?”.
Stay up to 6 months per journey
You are not allowed to stay in Canada for 5 years with an eTA. This electronic travel authorisation allows you to stay up to 6 consecutive months in Canada per trip. This means that each time you enter Canada you have to depart from the country within the following 6 months. However, within the 5-year validity period of your eTA, you may travel to Canada an unlimited number of times. There are no official rules regarding the period of time that should pass between two trips to Canada. Nevertheless, you should keep in mind that a border control agent might find it suspicious if you travel back to Canada briefly after a previous stay with an eTA. In that case, you might be denied entry into the country.
In which cases is the eTA valid for less than 5 years?
New passport
The validity of your electronic travel authorisation might expire in less than 5 years. One of the most common reasons for this is that the passport which was used for the application expires within 5 years of the eTA being issued. Since the eTA is electronically connected to the passport number with which it is applied for, the travel authorisation expires as soon as the passport expires. This means that you will need to apply for a new eTA whenever you apply for a new passport.
The eTA is an electronic travel authorisation that is automatically linked to the passport number of an applicant. Therefore, it is not necessary to print it. Airlines and border control agents can check your passport to see whether you hold a valid eTA.
Not fulfilling the requirements
Not fulfilling the eTA requirements is another reason for the validity of your travel authorisation to expire prematurely. One requirement is that you may not pose a security risk for the Canadian society. A border control agent has the authority to revoke your eTA if they suspect you to pose a potential risk for the rule of law, national security or public health in Canada. This would instantly lead to your eTA becoming invalid.
Erroneous data
Receiving a confirmation that your application was approved does not guarantee that the issued eTA is actually valid. The travel authorisation is invalid if the passport information was filled in incorrectly. If your airline is unable to find an eTA that is connected to your passport data, you might have made a mistake while filling in the passport details, leading to your eTA being invalid. The only way to solve this issue is by applying for a new travel authorisation with the correct data. This problem can be avoided by filling in the application form cautiously.
