The short answer: a Canada eTA is linked to a passport, not to your surname, so a name change on its own does nothing to it. While you still travel on the passport in your old name, the eTA issued for that passport keeps working, and any new application carries the name printed in the passport you will fly with. Once a new passport in your married (or earlier) name is issued, it needs its own eTA, and you can apply for a Canada eTA as soon as the new passport is in your hands. get-eta.com is a paid private service, separate from the Government of Canada.
Applying on canada.ca costs only the government fee. This article is for visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to Canada. Canadian citizens and U.S. citizens do not apply for an eTA.
How to type each part of a name is a separate question, covered in how the name fields work letter by letter. This page is about a changed surname after a wedding or a divorce, not about a typing slip.
Does your Canada eTA still work if your passport is in your maiden name?
Yes, as long as you fly with that same passport. An eTA is tied electronically to the passport used in the application, and it lasts for five years at most, ending sooner if that passport expires first.
At check-in the airline scans the passport to find the eTA, so there is nothing to print. Before you travel, compare the passport number in your approval email with the passport in your bag. If the two differ, the eTA belongs to a different document and you need to apply again.
Whether the passport you already hold stays valid after a change of name is decided by the country that issued it. Ask your passport office.
Do you need a new eTA once the passport is reissued in your new name?
Yes. A new passport means a new eTA, and the reason for the replacement makes no difference, whether it is a marriage, a divorce or simple expiry. The application is made the same way as the first one, the fee is small, and it is not refunded. For the practical side, see what reapplying with a new passport involves.
Which eTA works in your situation?
The passport you hold on the day of departure is the one that counts.
| Your situation | Passport you will fly with | eTA that works | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Married, passport still in the old name | The old passport | The eTA linked to it | Nothing new to enter |
| New passport issued in the new name | The new passport | None yet | New application with the new passport details |
| New passport ordered, not yet received, trip soon | Whichever one you hold at departure | The eTA linked to that passport | Apply only for the passport in your hands |
| Name amended inside the old passport | The same passport | Unclear, see the next section | Read the next section before deciding |
| Divorced, back to a previous name, new passport | The new passport | None yet | New application with the new passport details |
| Applied in the new name while the passport shows the old one | The old passport | None you can rely on | New application using the name in the passport |
An approved eTA cannot be changed. If something does not match, the fix is a new application, and the government fee applies again.
What if your name change is written into your existing passport?
Some passports carry a manual correction on the page of observations instead of being replaced. In IRCC’s eTA application help guide, an amended name in that section is the one place where the form asks for something other than the main page: you enter the name as it appears in the observations.
What the guidance does not say is whether an eTA approved before the amendment keeps working. Because an approved eTA cannot be edited, any change means a new application. The decision is yours.
What if your passport shows “wife of” or “épouse de”?
Some passports print a note after the surname, such as “épouse de”, “epse”, “ep.”, “wife of” or “husband of”, followed by the spouse’s name. None of this goes into the name fields. Say a passport reads “Costa ep. Lima Rui” as an example: the surname field gets “Costa”, the spouse’s “Lima Rui” stays out, and the given names follow as printed.
Which marital status do you pick, and what about past applications?
The form has a mandatory marital status field, and you pick the status you have on the day you apply. The options in plain terms:
- Never married/single: you have never been married or in a common-law relationship.
- Married: the marriage is recognised both where it took place and under Canadian law.
- Legally separated: you are still married but no longer live together and do not intend to.
- Divorced: a court has ended the marriage.
- Annulled: the marriage was declared never valid.
- Widowed: your spouse has died.
- Common-law: you have lived together in a marital-type relationship for at least a year.
The form also asks whether you have ever applied for or held a Canadian visa, eTA or permit. Answer “yes” if you did, even when the earlier application was under a different surname, because the question is about applications, not names. If you have a UCI from an earlier document, enter it. If you cannot find it, the guide allows “NA” or the number of an earlier Canadian study permit, work permit or visitor visa.
Married name on the ticket, maiden name on the passport: what then?
An eTA is checked against the passport you show at check-in, and without a valid eTA on that passport you will not be allowed on the flight to Canada. What the ticket must say is another matter. Name rules for tickets are set by the airline, so check with your airline before you fly, ideally before the booking is finalised. For the airline-side problems, see when the airline can’t find an eTA at check-in. A longer walk through lining up the passport, booking and eTA after a wedding is also available.
Divorced and going back to a previous name?
The logic runs the same way in reverse. While you fly with the passport in your married name, the eTA linked to it works. A new passport in your previous name needs a new eTA.
How long does a new eTA take after a name change?
Most applications are approved within minutes. Some need several days, and if yours needs more time, an email with next steps arrives within 72 hours of applying. Apply as soon as the new passport is in your hands, and you can check your eTA status with your passport details and the application number or UCI.
The short version
- An eTA follows the passport, not the surname.
- The eTA linked to your old passport works while you travel on that passport and both remain valid.
- A new passport, in any name, needs a new eTA.
- An approved eTA cannot be edited, so a mismatch means a new application.
- Do not enter “wife of” or “épouse de” notes or a spouse’s name.
- For the name on the ticket, check with your airline.
FAQ
Is my Canada eTA linked to my passport? Yes, electronically, to the passport used in the application. A new passport needs a new eTA.
Can I still travel if my passport is in my maiden name? Yes, with that passport and the eTA linked to it, while the passport is valid. Ask your airline about the ticket, and your passport office about how long the passport stays valid after a name change.
Can I apply for a Canada eTA twice? Yes. A new passport means a new application, and the government fee is paid each time and not refunded.
Does the name on your ticket have to match your passport? Name rules for tickets differ between airlines, so check with your airline. The eTA itself is looked up by passport.
Do I need a new eTA if I got married but kept my old passport? No, if you fly with the same passport, because the eTA is linked to it. Nothing needs changing just because your surname did.