UK ETA for Canadian citizens
Canadian citizens have long travelled to the UK without a visa, and that has not changed — but since the ETA scheme took effect you now need an authorisation approved before you board. Airlines check for it at the gate, and without one you will not be allowed to fly.
UK ETA for Canada — key facts
- Canadian citizens do need a UK ETA before travelling to the United Kingdom.
- An ETA is not a visa and does not guarantee entry — a Border Force officer makes the final decision on arrival.
Verified against GOV.UK on 2026-10-12. UK ETA Gateway is a private agency, not the UK Government.
What is different for Canadian travellers
The ETA requirement began applying to Canadian passport holders on 8 January 2025. If you have not travelled to the United Kingdom since then, this will be your first ETA.
The fee is set by the Home Office in pounds sterling, so you are charged £49 and your bank converts it from Canadian dollar (CAD) at its own rate. We do not add a currency markup, and nobody — including us — can discount the £20 government portion.
Applying from Canada
There is a name collision here that catches Canadians constantly. Canada runs its own eTA — the Electronic Travel Authorization that visa-exempt foreign nationals need to fly into Canada. That is a completely separate system, run by IRCC, and as a Canadian citizen you never needed one. The UK ETA is a different authorisation, issued by the British Home Office, and it is the one you now need to fly to Britain.
Searching for "eTA" from Canada will mostly return your own country's inbound system, which is one reason Canadian travellers arrive at the airport believing they are covered. The two are unrelated: holding, or not holding, a Canadian eTA tells you nothing about your UK position.
Canadians came into the UK scheme when enforcement became universal on 25 February 2026, so this will usually be a first application. Visa-free entry to Britain continues exactly as before — the change is that the approval must exist before you board.
If you are a dual Canadian–British or Canadian–Irish citizen, you cannot apply for a UK ETA and do not need one. Travel on the British or Irish passport. We would rather turn that application away than take a fee for something that cannot be issued.
What Canadian travellers need
- A biometric Canadian passport that will still be valid when you travel
- A digital photo meeting the GOV.UK standard
- An email address and a payment card
- Truthful answers on criminal convictions and past immigration refusals
You do not need flight bookings, hotel reservations, bank statements or an invitation letter.
Every Canadian traveller needs their own ETA, including infants — there is no family application and no child discount. How ETAs work for children and families.
If you also hold British or Irish citizenship you cannot apply for an ETA at all — travel on that passport instead. Full requirements · Common questions.
Canada at a glance
- ETA requiredYes
- Official Home Office fee£20
- Our service fee£29
- Total through us£49
- Validity2 years or passport expiry
- Maximum stay per visit6 months
- Typical decisionMinutes; allow 3 working days
- Number of entriesUnlimited
Or apply yourself at gov.uk/eta for £20.