The High Commission of Canada have informed TAANZ that starting November 10, 2016, visa-exempt foreign nationals will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to board their flight to Canada.

To make sure flying to Canada continues to be easy and hassle free, the Government of Canada encourages citizens of New Zealand, including dual Canadian citizens, to obtain the appropriate travel documents before booking their flight.

Starting November 10, 2016, citizens of New Zealand will need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to fly to Canada. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, will need a valid Canadian passport to board their flight to Canada.

Canada introduced the eTA requirement for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling to Canada by air in March 2016. A leniency period was put in place so that travellers who are unfamiliar with eTA could still board their flight to Canada. This leniency period ends on November 9, 2016.

Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, are not eligible to apply for an eTA, and will need a valid Canadian passport or an emergency travel document to board their flight to Canada. Canadians who try to fly to Canada without one of these documents on or after November 10 will not be able to board their flight. As it can take time to get a Canadian passport, travellers should apply for one as soon as they can and plan travel accordingly.

Quick facts
•    Close to 2 million eTAs have been issued to date, with the vast majority being granted within minutes of the application being received.
•    The Government of Canada website, Canada.ca/eTA, is the only valid site where travellers can apply for an eTA. Applying is a simple online process that costs CAN$7.
•    Canadian permanent residents are not eligible to apply for an eTA and, as usual, must show their valid permanent resident card when travelling to Canada.
•    American citizens, including American-Canadian citizens, do not need a Canadian passport, a Canadian visa or an eTA to enter Canada. However, they must carry proper identification and meet the basic requirements to enter Canada. The only exception is U.S. lawful permanent residents who need an eTA and must present a valid U.S. permanent resident card (Green Card) and a valid passport at check-in.