The short answer: a week before you fly, confirm three things: your eTA is approved, the passport number in the approval email matches the passport you will carry, and that passport is valid for the whole trip. On the day, the airline checks your eTA by scanning that same passport, so there is nothing to print. If you have no eTA yet, apply today; you can apply for a Canada eTA through a paid private service, separate from the Government of Canada.
Applying on canada.ca costs only the government fee, and canada.ca advises getting the eTA before you book your trip.
If your tickets are already booked, this checklist is for you. If you are still deciding the order, read about whether to book flights or get the eTA first.
The difference between approved, pending and refused in the status tool is covered separately, so here we ask only one thing: does it show approved?
Seven days out: is your eTA approved, and on the right passport?
Start with the approval email. Search every inbox you might have used, spam folder included, because some spam filters block mail from IRCC. Keep the eTA number from that email; you need it to contact IRCC or look up your status.
Then run through this list:
- Passport number. Compare the number in the email with your passport, digit by digit. If it is wrong, you may not be able to travel, and the fix is a new application with the right number.
- Same passport. You fly with the passport you used to apply. If you received a new passport after the approval, you need a new eTA.
- Passport validity. The eTA stops working when the passport expires. Without a stamp, your stay also ends when the passport expires, so a passport that outlasts the trip saves you trouble; see a passport that runs out close to the trip if yours is close.
If it isn’t approved yet, or you never applied: apply today. Most decisions arrive within minutes and some take several days. The form has a field for additional information where you can describe an urgent reason for travel. IRCC takes it into account but does not promise a faster answer.
If no email with an application number arrives within 72 hours of applying, use the IRCC web form rather than sending another application.
Three days out: what if the eTA is still pending?
The direct answer: do not fly without a decision. A pending application, even one where you have sent documents and are still waiting, does not get you on the plane.
Look up the status first. The tool asks for your application number plus details from the passport you used to apply.
If IRCC asked for documents, send them as soon as you can. If you are waiting on a third party, such as a doctor or a police office, you can request an extension through your IRCC secure account. A technical problem with the upload has its own web form. See IRCC’s answer on missing a document deadline, which says not to travel until a decision is made.
When the flight is close, IRCC itself suggests thinking about moving it. Filing a second application to speed things up is not IRCC’s advice and only means paying the fee a second time.
Three days out: should you file an Advance Declaration in ArriveCAN?
This is optional. ArriveCAN is the free app of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), with a web version too. It is not the eTA and does not replace it. The Advance Declaration lets you submit your customs and immigration declaration up to three days before you arrive in Canada.
It works only at ten airports: Vancouver (YVR), Toronto Pearson Terminals 1 and 3 (YYZ), Montréal (YUL), Winnipeg (YWG), Halifax (YHZ), Québec City (YQB), Calgary (YYC), Ottawa (YOW), Edmonton (YEG) and Toronto Billy Bishop (YTZ).
You enter your passport details and answer the questions, and a confirmation email with a reference number follows. On arrival you confirm the declaration at a kiosk or eGate. If you do not confirm it within three days of submitting, it expires and you submit a new one, which can happen after a delayed flight. It does not work with NEXUS kiosks. If you skip it, you make your declaration on arrival, at a kiosk or eGate where the airport has them.
The day before: what goes in your bag?
Keep the list short:
- The passport you used to apply. Nothing needs printing, because the eTA is linked to that passport.
- The approval email on your phone, or the eTA number written down separately, for your own reference and any contact with IRCC.
- A letter from one or both parents or a legal guardian, if you travel with a child under 18 who may need one, plus other documents depending on whether the child travels alone.
- An invitation letter, if a person or company invited you. A border officer may ask to see it.
- Details of your return and where you will stay. Canada.ca lists no specific papers for this, so it is common sense: the officer decides on entry, looking at your documents, health, ties to home, intention to leave and money for the stay.
A valid eTA does not guarantee entry. Check with your airline too, because the documents it asks for may differ from what the border services require. If you hold two passports, decide now which one you fly with: it must be the one the eTA is linked to. One last look at the result is easy, because you can check your eTA status again with your passport details and the application number or UCI.
Departure day: what happens at check-in?
You show your passport at check-in. The airline scans it and sees the eTA; with no valid eTA, you do not board. Follow your airline’s advice on when to arrive at the airport.
If you applied at the airport itself and the approval has not come by check-in, the flight has to be rescheduled. If the desk says it cannot find your eTA, read why a check-in desk may find no eTA on your passport rather than guessing at the cause.
What does the week look like at a glance?
| When | Check | If it fails |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days | Approved, passport number matches, same passport, passport outlasts the trip | Apply today, reapply with the right number, or get a new eTA for a new passport |
| 7 to 4 days | The approval email has arrived | Look in spam; no email with an application number within 72 hours means the IRCC web form |
| 3 days | Still pending, or documents requested | Send the documents, ask for an extension, or consider moving the flight |
| 3 days | Advance Declaration (optional) | Skip it and declare on arrival |
| 1 day | Bag: the passport used to apply, plus letters for minors or invitations | Gather the papers before you leave for the airport |
| Departure | Passport is scanned at check-in | No eTA means no boarding; reschedule the flight |
The short version
- A week out, confirm the eTA is approved and the passport number in the email matches your passport.
- Fly with the passport you used to apply, valid for the entire trip.
- No eTA yet: apply today, and use the IRCC web form if no email with an application number comes within 72 hours of applying.
- Still pending three days out: do not fly without a decision, send any documents requested, and think about moving the flight.
- The ArriveCAN Advance Declaration is optional and covers ten airports.
- Pack the passport you applied with, plus letters for children or invitations if they apply.
- At check-in the airline scans your passport, and an approved eTA is what gets you on the plane.
FAQ
How far in advance should I apply for a Canadian eTA? Canada.ca advises applying before you book your trip. Most decisions come within minutes, but some take several days, so if your tickets are already booked, apply now rather than in the last days before the flight.
Why is my eTA approval taking so long? Some applications need more information before a decision. In that case IRCC sends an email with the next steps within 72 hours of applying, so check your spam folder. Do not fly until a decision is made.
Do I need to use ArriveCAN to fly into Canada? Not necessarily. The Advance Declaration is an option at ten airports; otherwise you make your declaration on arrival, at a kiosk or eGate where the airport has them.
How long before eTA is approved? Most decisions come within minutes, and some applications take several days. If yours needs more time, an email with the next steps arrives within 72 hours of applying.
What do I need to know before flying to Canada? Check that the eTA is approved, the passport number in the email matches, and the passport is valid for the whole trip. An eTA does not guarantee entry, because the officer at the border decides.