According to a January 12 industry round-up by Travel and Tour World, Canada will begin full enforcement of its Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) system for all visa-exempt foreign nationals in February 2026. The article reiterates that the online authorisation will cost CAD 16, be valid for two years and permit stays of up to 180 days per visit.
While the eTA has existed since 2016, enforcement to date has been selective, with certain visa-exempt cohorts waved through due to COVID-19 capacity constraints. The announced deadline means airlines will face automatic “no-board” instructions for passengers lacking an approved eTA, similar to U.S. ESTA procedures. Carriers and travel-management companies have one month to audit booking flows and ensure API feeds validate eTA status before ticketing.
For travellers and mobility managers who prefer a turnkey solution, VisaHQ’s dedicated Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers a streamlined way to file, track and manage eTA applications at scale, with automated passport checks and real-time status alerts that slot neatly into existing corporate travel workflows.
![Full eTA Enforcement for Visa-Exempt Travellers Set for February 2026, Says Industry Round-Up]()
For corporate-mobility teams, the stricter gatekeeping underscores the need for pre-trip compliance checks. Employees transiting Canada on same-day connections will now require the authorisation, closing a loophole that previously allowed short airside layovers without an eTA. Logistics firms routing crew through Canadian hubs for Arctic projects are particularly affected.
The tourism sector generally welcomes the clarity, noting that Canada’s CAD 7 eTA fee—unchanged for a decade—remains competitive even after the new CAD 16 price point. However, business associations want assurance that IRCC’s eTA adjudication algorithms can handle a projected 25 percent application surge coinciding with FIFA World Cup-related travel.
Border-security analysts believe the full roll-out will help CBSA pre-screen travellers against watchlists, aligning Canada with the forthcoming EU ETIAS regime and reinforcing the trend toward digital pre-authorisations worldwide.
While the eTA has existed since 2016, enforcement to date has been selective, with certain visa-exempt cohorts waved through due to COVID-19 capacity constraints. The announced deadline means airlines will face automatic “no-board” instructions for passengers lacking an approved eTA, similar to U.S. ESTA procedures. Carriers and travel-management companies have one month to audit booking flows and ensure API feeds validate eTA status before ticketing.
For travellers and mobility managers who prefer a turnkey solution, VisaHQ’s dedicated Canada portal (https://www.visahq.com/canada/) offers a streamlined way to file, track and manage eTA applications at scale, with automated passport checks and real-time status alerts that slot neatly into existing corporate travel workflows.
For corporate-mobility teams, the stricter gatekeeping underscores the need for pre-trip compliance checks. Employees transiting Canada on same-day connections will now require the authorisation, closing a loophole that previously allowed short airside layovers without an eTA. Logistics firms routing crew through Canadian hubs for Arctic projects are particularly affected.
The tourism sector generally welcomes the clarity, noting that Canada’s CAD 7 eTA fee—unchanged for a decade—remains competitive even after the new CAD 16 price point. However, business associations want assurance that IRCC’s eTA adjudication algorithms can handle a projected 25 percent application surge coinciding with FIFA World Cup-related travel.
Border-security analysts believe the full roll-out will help CBSA pre-screen travellers against watchlists, aligning Canada with the forthcoming EU ETIAS regime and reinforcing the trend toward digital pre-authorisations worldwide.
