What age do you need an eTA for Canada?

Canada does not provide age-based exemptions for the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). All visa-exempt travelers, regardless of age, must have their own Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to Canada. Parents or guardians can complete the online eTA application on behalf of minors.

If you are from a visa-exempt country, you must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before boarding your flight to Canada. The eTA is an online entry document that facilitates the traveling process; however, most people traveling with children and seniors are in doubt about whether they need it. It has a fast, simple application procedure, which is done online on the Canada immigration services website, and it is usually given approval within a few minutes.

Having an approved eTA allows you to board your flight to Canada, but final entry is determined by a Canadian border services officer.

Who Needs an eTA

A Canada Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is required for most travelers who:

Are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents;
Have a visa-exempt nationality (as in the United Kingdom, France, Japan, Australia, or Germany); and
Is traveling to Canada by air, even when flying through a Canadian airport.

The eTA is connected electronically to your passport and lasts not more than five years or until your passport expires - whichever comes first. It allows short-term visits to Canada for tourism, business, or transit, with the length of stay (typically up to six months) determined by a border officer.

Age Requirements Explained

The Canadian government bases eTA requirements on citizenship and mode of travel, not on age. That means:

Even when the travel is booked as a component of a parent booking, infants and children flying to Canada require their own eTA.
Adults and seniors must also have their own eTA if they meet the same visa-exempt criteria.
It has no age exemptions; all visa-exempt travelers flying to Canada need to have an eTA unless they are a Canadian citizen, a dual citizen using a Canadian passport, or a permanent resident (who must instead carry a PR card).

However, travelers entering Canada by land or sea, such as driving to the United States or coming on a cruise, do not require an eTA. All they require is travel documents, including a passport.

Who Doesn’t Need an eTA?

You do not need an eTA if you are:

You must be a Canadian citizen or a dual citizen (you must carry your Canadian passport);
Canadian permanent resident (you have to present the PR card or PR travel document during the flight);
U.S citizen (U.S citizens only require a valid passport);
Travelers entering by car, bus, train, or boat instead of by air do not need an eTA.

Nevertheless, even U.S. legal permanent residents (Green Card holders) need an eTA to fly into Canada.

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