What is an eTA for Canada?

Since March 15, 2016, it is mandatory for all travelers to Canada to apply for a visa in advance. The electronic visa can be easily applied for via Traveldocs. However, you can only make use of this if you will be entering Canada by plane. The Electornic Travel Authorization (eTA) is an electronic visa, which you can apply for completely digitally. For a visa Canada application we only need a passport scan. So you no longer have to physically deliver documents to us or have to travel to the embassy yourself.

When can I use the eTa?

You can use the eTA when you want to travel to Canada for the following reasons:

Holiday purposes
Business purposes
Visiting friends and / or family
For a switch (transit)

If for any reason you are not eligible for an eTA, or if you need to apply for a visa to work or follow a long study in Canada, you must apply for it in person through the service center of the Canadian Embassy in Düsseldorf.

In that case, Traveldocs can assist you with the preparatory work. Contact us for the possibilities and rates.

For whom is an eTA intended?

The electronic visa is mandatory for anyone planning to travel to Canada. Travelers who do not have a valid visa cannot check in and are immediately refused when boarding the plane. Even with a (short) transfer where the airport will not be left, one must have an eTA. This also applies to children and babies.

Validity of an eTA Canada

An eTA is a multiple entry visa. This means that you can enter the country several times within the validity of the visa. There is no limit to this. You can have the eTA in your mailbox within 72 hours after submitting your application!

An eTA is valid for 5 years or until the expiry date of your passport, whichever is earlier
Within those 5 years – as long as you travel with the same valid passport – you can travel in and out of Canada an unlimited number of times
Each stay may not last longer than 6 months consecutively

If your passport expired earlier than the eTA, or if you have a new passport, the eTA will expire and you will need to apply for a new one and pay for it again.

What other types of visa Canada application are available?

Canada has various types of visas. For example, the following visas are available:

the eTA is intended for tourist, business and transit trips to Canada
Temporary Resident visa (IMM 5257) is a visa for a stay longer than 6 months, or if you want to work or study in Canada. You must also provide biometric data for this.
Parent and Grandparent Super visa is a visa that is specially intended for travelers who visit their (grand) children, who live permanently in Canada. The visa is valid for 10 years and a stay of 2 years per visit.
Study Permit is a permit to study in Canada. Certain conditions apply to this. Traveldocs can assist with the preparatory work.
Work Permit is a permit to work in Canada.
Working Holiday visa is a visa for persons between 18 and 30 years old who want to learn / work in Canada. You do not have to arrange an employer in advance for this visa and you can only use it once.

If you wish to apply for a visa type other than the eTA, please contact us well in advance. Our visa experts can work with you to find out what type of visa is required for your travel purpose and what you need to do to obtain this visa.

Processing time, visa validity and cost of the Canada visa

The cost and processing time for the visa depends on the type of visa you choose.

The most requested variant, the eVisitor visa, which can be used for both tourist and business trips, is granted on average within 72 hours and costs only € 19.95. This includes processing costs, consular costs, transaction costs and VAT. You can also use an urgent procedure in which a surcharge will be charged, see this page.

However, the embassy reserves the right at all times to take longer to assess your application than the stated average processing time for this.

If you wish to apply for a visa type other than the eTA, please contact us well in advance. Our visa experts can work with you to find out what type of visa is required for your travel purpose and what you need to do to obtain this visa.

Why apply for your Canada Visa at Traveldocs?

At Traveldocs we guarantee professional, correct, smooth and reliable service.

Our experienced experts will review the application before it is submitted to the Government of Canada. Only in this way can you be 100% sure that your application is correctly and safely applied for.

Traveldocs makes the procedure easier for you, so no more complicated website procedures.

You will be kept informed of the status of the request by e-mail or telephone. You can also follow your request at any time via the Tracking function on our website.

Traveldocs is a Dutch company with years of experience and the right connections to handle your documents correctly. We work together with various tour operators, top clubs, large (international) companies and NGOs. Your documents are always in safe hands with us.

Apply for Canada visa now

Do you want to apply for the Canada visa directly? Then proceed directly to the online application form. Would you like to know more about the visa and the procedure first? Read our FAQ visa Canada page, or contact us via the online contact form.

Planning to visit other countries besides Canada?

Are you going to apply for a visa to Canada, but will you also visit other countries during your trip? Take a look at the visa countries below, so that you can be well prepared and equipped with the right documents for your trip.