By The Escape desk · Last verified 7 October 2026
Singapore is visa-exempt for Canada, but if you fly to, or transit through, a Canadian airport you need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). On the Government of Canada’s own site it costs CAN$7, non-refundable, per person. Most applications are approved within minutes; a few are asked for documents, with instructions emailed within 72 hours. The eTA is electronically linked to your passport and lasts up to five years or until that passport expires, whichever comes first. On arrival, most visitors may stay up to six months, though the border officer decides. You need a valid passport, an email address and a card to pay.
Rockies road trips, Vancouver’s seawall, autumn leaves in Quebec: the paperwork costs less than a cup of coffee at the airport, as long as you use the right website.
Quick facts
- Who needs it: Singaporeans flying to or transiting through a Canadian airport.
- Cost: CAN$7 per person, non-refundable (as of October 2026).
- Speed: most approved within minutes; some take longer if documents are requested.
- Validity: up to five years, or until your passport expires if sooner.
- Stay: usually up to six months per visit, at the border officer’s discretion.
- Official site: canada.ca, the Government of Canada.
What it costs, worked out
Each traveller, children included, needs their own eTA. The government fee is the same for everyone.
| Travellers | Government fee | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 adult | CAN$7 | Trips over up to five years on that passport |
| Couple | CAN$14 | Both passports, each separately |
| Family of four | CAN$28 | Four eTAs, each linked to its own passport |
Your bank may add a foreign currency fee because the charge is in Canadian dollars. If a website quotes you much more than CAN$7 per person, you are on a private agent’s site, not the government’s.
How to apply, step by step
- Get ready first: passport, email address, and a Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay or debit card. The form cannot be saved, so do it in one sitting.
- Go to the eTA page on canada.ca; type the address rather than clicking search adverts.
- Answer the eligibility questions and enter your passport details exactly.
- Pay CAN$7.
- Watch your email. Most approvals arrive within minutes.
- Check the passport number in the approval email matches your passport exactly. If it does not, you must apply again.
- Fly. The airline checks your eTA electronically at check-in; there is nothing to print.
When you do and do not need one
| Situation | eTA needed? |
|---|---|
| Flying into Canada for a holiday | Yes |
| Connecting through Toronto or Vancouver to the US or elsewhere | Yes, transit counts |
| Driving in from the United States, or arriving by sea | The eTA requirement is for air travel; carry your passport and follow border instructions |
| Renewed your passport since your last trip | Yes, a new eTA for the new passport |
| Dual Canadian citizen | No eTA; you need a Canadian passport |
A worked example
Kumar applies in October 2026 for a December trip to Toronto. His passport expires in March 2029.
- Cost: CAN$7, approved twenty minutes later.
- Validity: five years would run to October 2031, but his passport expires first, so the eTA ends in March 2029.
- Next trip: a summer 2028 visit is covered by the same eTA.
- After renewal: when he gets his new passport in 2029, he applies for a fresh eTA before his next Canada trip.
The WahLiao Verdict
Canada’s eTA is cheap and fast, so the only real risk is paying an agent several times the fee. Apply on canada.ca as soon as your flights are booked, check the passport number in the approval email character by character, and remember that a new passport means a new eTA. Then put your effort into packing for the weather.
Questions people ask
Is the eTA a visa?
No. Singaporeans are visa-exempt. The eTA is a quick online pre-screen required to board a flight to or through Canada.
How long does approval take?
Most are approved within minutes. If documents are needed, Canada emails instructions within 72 hours, so do not leave it to the night before.
Do I need an eTA just to change planes in Canada?
Yes. Transiting through a Canadian airport requires one.
How long can I stay?
Most visitors may stay up to six months, but the border services officer can allow less or more depending on your trip.
Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, eTA overview, cost and who needs it; IRCC, applying, payment and processing; IRCC, after you apply and length of stay. The Escape explains; it does not advise.
Read next: UK ETA, US ESTA and Europe’s ETIAS: The Travel Authorisations Singaporeans Now Need · Travel Insurance in Singapore: What It Covers and What It Doesn’t · Back to The Escape
For what’s worth it this week, with the bill shown, read The WahLiao Week.
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