Canada eTA Application Guide 2026: Cost, Approval & Tips

How to Apply for Canada eTA: Cost

Approval Time & My Same-Day Approval Experience

Text, photos ⓒ Nabulli

As I was getting ready for my trip to Canada,

I was wondering if I needed a separate Canadian visa.

It turns out that if you're entering Canada by air with a South Korean passport,

you just need to prepare for the eTA Electronic Travel Authorization

instead of a regular visitor visa.

And that's where the Canada eTA comes in ❗️

I got my approval on the very same day I applied,

but my friend, who applied on the same day as me,

received their approval about two days later.

At first, I heard most people get it quickly,

so I thought it would be fine to do it right before the trip.

But after directly comparing our approval times,

I changed my mind.

The Canada eTA approval time can vary from person to person,

so I don't recommend waiting until right before your departure.

​

If you're planning a trip to Canada

and are curious about what eTA is, where to apply,

how much it costs, or how long approval takes,

you might find it helpful to read this post to the end!

1. What is the Canada eTA?

​

eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization)

: Canada's Electronic Travel Authorization

This is a required travel authorization

if you have a South Korean passport and are entering Canada by air,

or transiting through a Canadian airport.

Instead of applying for a separate general tourist visa,

you apply online, and once approved,

it's electronically linked to the passport you used to apply.

So, there's no need to print anything out and attach it to your passport once it's approved.

However, the passport number you enter during the application is extremely important.

If you enter the passport number incorrectly,

you won't be able to use the existing approval

and may need to apply for a new eTA, so

make sure to enter your passport number correctly!

✔️ Required for South Korean passport holders entering or transiting Canada by air ✔️ Official application fee: CAD 7 ✔️ Can be applied for online ✔️ Most approvals within minutes, but some may take several days ✔️ Valid for up to 5 years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first ✔️ Electronically linked to your passport, no separate printout needed

If you're like me and like to prepare for your trip in advance,

I recommend applying for it as soon as your travel dates are set,

not right before your flight departs.

​

2. What You'll Need

Before applying for your Canada eTA, the essentials are simple:

✔️ A valid passport

✔️ An email address

✔️ A payment card (capable of international payments)

The official application fee is CAD 7 per person.

​

Here's an important point:

If you search online, you'll find many agency websites that offer to apply for eTA on your behalf.

I chose not to use an agency

and applied directly through the official Government of Canada website.

You can definitely do it yourself, so keep that in mind!

When you search, you might see eTA websites that look similar to the official one,

so make sure you are on the official Government of Canada website

before you apply.

⬇️ Official Government of Canada eTA application page

3. How to Apply for Your eTA

Applying for the Canada eTA is done entirely online.

The overall steps are:

Access the official website → Enter passport information

→ Fill out personal information and travel-related questions

→ Final review of details → Pay CAD 7 → Check email

​

That's the general flow.

The Government of Canada eTA website

offers guidance in Korean,

so you don't need to be too intimidated even if it's your first time applying.

However, the actual application form itself

is in English and French.

I used Chrome's translation feature to help me.

Keep your passport next to you

and enter your English name and passport number

exactly as they appear!

Especially for information linked to your passport, such as your English name, date of birth, and passport number,

make sure to double-check for any typos at the end.

4. Cost

When I applied, the official cost was CAD 7.

Considering all the expenses that go into travel preparation,

the eTA itself wasn't a huge cost.

However, if you land on a site through a search and

see a much higher amount than this,

please double-check first if it's the official

Government of Canada website.

Once an eTA is approved,

it's valid for up to 5 years, or

until the passport you used to apply expires,

whichever comes first.

You can visit Canada multiple times within its validity period, but

if you get a new passport,

you'll need to apply for a new eTA with that new passport.

5. Approval Period (My Same-Day Approval Story)

This is actually the part I really wanted to talk about this time, haha!

If you check the official guidelines,

it says that most Canada eTA applications are

often approved within minutes.

In my case, I actually received the approval email

on the very same day I applied (in less than 30 minutes!)

​

If I had been the only one applying, I probably would have just thought,

'Oh, Canada eTA comes out quickly,' and left it at that.

But here's the kicker: even though my friend applied around the same time on the same day,

I got mine approved that day, while it took about 2 days for my friend.

The official guidance also states that while most applications are processed within minutes,

it can take a few days if additional verification is needed for a particular application.

While a Canada eTA can be approved on the same day,

it's crucial not to plan your trip assuming same-day approval.

I think that's the most important takeaway.

Applying the day before your flight,

or even worse, right before you head to the airport, is something I really, really don't recommend.

If I were you, once my flight tickets and itinerary were set,

I'd just get it done right at the beginning of my travel preparations.

​

✅ Approval Email

Once approved, you'll receive an eTA approval notification by email.

What you absolutely must check here is your passport number.

Please double-check that the passport number written in the approval email

matches your actual passport number.

Since your Canada eTA is electronically linked to the passport

you used during the application, you must use that same passport when checking in for your flight.

While you don't necessarily need to print and carry the eTA approval document separately,

just in case, I kept my approval email saved so I could access it immediately.

If you don't see the email right away,

it's a good idea to check your spam folder too.

6. Canada eTA Key Precautions Summary

✔️ Apply on the official Government of Canada website.

✔️ Confirm the official cost of CAD 7.

✔️ Double-check your passport number and English name for typos.

✔️ Reconfirm the passport number in your approval email.

✔️ If you've been issued a new passport, apply for a new eTA as well.

✔️ Don't assume same-day approval.

✔️ Apply in advance, not right before your departure.

If you're gearing up for a trip to Canada,

the eTA itself isn't a difficult or expensive part of your preparations!

If you apply directly on the official website, the cost is CAD 7,

and I personally received approval right on the same day, so...

It was surprisingly simple to complete!

However, even though my friend was preparing for the exact same trip,

it took several days for their approval,

so I really want to emphasize preparing this part in advance.

While it might be approved on the same day, it could also take a few days, so

don't put off applying for your Canada eTA until just before your trip —

apply in advance!

If you're currently preparing for your Canadian adventure,

be sure to check the application requirements on the official website first.

➡️ Check the Official Canada eTA Application Page

Now that I've completed the eTA process,

I'll also organize all the other things I personally handled while preparing for my Canada trip,

like currency exchange, transportation, eSIM, and packing essentials.

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