The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is a digital, pre-travel permission that nationals of many countries, including Canada, must obtain before travelling to the UK for short stays of up to six months under visa-free rules.

An ETA allows multiple entries but is not a visa; it simply permits you to travel to the UK and seek entry at the border. The ETA is typically valid for 2 years or until your passport expires — whichever is sooner — and can be used for tourism, visiting family/friends, short business trips, or certain short-study and creative-worker concessions.

Canadians who do not have a UK visa and who are entering under the visitor rules will need an ETA before 25 February 2026. Once that date arrives, airlines and carriers will check for ETA approval before allowing travel.

However, you do not need an ETA if you:

• Are a British or Irish citizen;
• Hold permission to live, work, or study in the UK (for example, a visa or settled status); or
• Do not intend to pass through UK border control during transit.

The ETA application is made online or via a Home Office app, requires your passport details and suitability information, costs £16 and most decisions are issued within one business day. The Home Office is the UK government’s lead department for immigration, border security, policing, and counter-terrorism.

*All GBP (Great British Pound) amounts can be converted to Canadian dollars using the official OANDA exchange rates. 

Get more information and legal help

Ensuring you have the correct travel documents, such as an ETA or valid proof of UK immigration status, is essential to board a plane from Canada. To learn more, please get in touch with Sterling Immigration Ltd.

								
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