You’re at the check-in counter, new passport in hand, and the agent scans it. No valid eTA is attached. The approval email is sitting in your inbox, but it names a passport number that no longer exists in any physical document you own. Your approved eTA does not follow you to a new passport. It is gone.
The short answer: if you get a new passport after your Canada eTA is approved, your eTA is no longer usable for travel. The eTA is digitally linked to the specific passport you used when you applied, and that link cannot be transferred. A new passport (whether it came from a renewal, a replacement after loss, theft, or damage) means you need a new eTA before you can board your flight.
This is not a bureaucratic quirk. It is how the system works at a technical level, and understanding it quickly is what protects your trip.
Why Your eTA Is Linked to Your Specific Passport Number
Your eTA is not a standalone travel document you carry separately. It is a digital record tied to your passport number, stored in a system that airlines and border services can query. When an airline agent scans your passport at check-in, the system looks up that exact passport number and either finds a valid eTA attached to it or it does not.
The passport number in your eTA approval email must exactly match the number in your physical passport. If those two numbers differ, the eTA is effectively invisible to anyone scanning your new document.
This is why a wrong passport number on an application, even a single digit transposed, can prevent you from travelling to Canada. The same logic applies when you get a new passport: the old number is what the eTA is attached to, and your new passport carries a completely different number. There is no mechanism to re-link or transfer an existing eTA. The approved record simply does not apply to you anymore, at least not to the you holding a new document.
For more on how this matching requirement works in practice, the article on Canada eTA wrong passport number covers the consequences and the correction path in detail.
Immediate Steps When You Get a New Passport After eTA Approval
The moment you receive your new passport, treat your old eTA as cancelled. Do not wait to confirm it will not work, because it will not. Your immediate priority is getting a new eTA issued against the new passport number before your departure date.
Here is the sequence:
- Locate your new passport number. It is on the biographical data page, usually the first or second page of the booklet.
- Start a fresh eTA application. There is no amendment or transfer process. It is a new application from scratch, using your new passport details.
- Use your new passport details exactly as they appear. Name spelling, date of birth, nationality: everything must match the new document precisely, not how it appeared in your old passport if any details were updated.
- Apply well before your departure date. Most decisions arrive within minutes, but some applications take up to 72 hours. If your trip is close, apply the same day you receive your new passport.
Do not book or confirm flights until the new eTA is approved. If you already have flights booked, apply for the new eTA immediately and do not wait even a day.
Applying for a New eTA: The Process and Considerations
The application process for a replacement eTA is the same as your original application. You will need a valid passport (your new one), a credit or debit card, and an email address. You answer the same questions about your background and travel intentions.
Most applicants receive a response within minutes. Some requests take longer, up to several days, with a response expected within 72 hours in those cases. The approval email will include your new eTA number, which is worth saving somewhere you can find it.
One thing to be aware of: it may not always be possible to obtain an eTA at the last minute, depending on your specific situation. If your application is flagged for additional review and your flight is in two days, that is a genuinely difficult position to be in. The only protection against that scenario is applying early.
The article on what to do if your eTA application is still pending after the usual timeframe is worth reading if your new application does not resolve quickly.
When you are ready, you can submit a new eTA application with your new passport details and receive a decision in most cases within minutes.
Passport Changes Due to Renewal, Loss, Theft, or Damage
The reason your passport changed doesn’t affect the rule — any new passport number means a new eTA is required. But the circumstances do affect how much time pressure you’re under and what else you may need to sort out alongside the eTA.
Photo by Karl Baron on wikimedia (CC BY 2.0)
| Reason for New Passport | eTA Still Valid? | Key Consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Routine renewal | No — new passport number, new eTA required | Usually planned in advance; apply for new eTA as soon as new passport arrives |
| Lost passport | No — old eTA linked to lost document | Report loss, get replacement passport, then apply for new eTA before travel |
| Stolen passport | No — old eTA linked to stolen document | Same as lost; stolen passport should also be reported to authorities |
| Damaged passport | No — if replacement issued with new number | Confirm whether your country issues a new number on replacement; if so, new eTA needed |
| Name or detail change | No — new passport issued, new number | Ensure new eTA application uses details exactly as shown in the new passport |
In every case, the eTA application requires a valid passport. That means you cannot apply for the new eTA until the replacement passport is actually in your hands — you need the new passport number to complete the form.
If your passport was lost or stolen while you were already in Canada, that’s a different situation involving your home country’s consulate or embassy. The eTA question only becomes relevant once you have a new passport and are preparing to travel again.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Dealing with a New Passport and eTA
Assuming the old eTA still works because the name and nationality have not changed. The system does not match on your name. It matches on the passport number. Airline staff scan the barcode or chip in your new passport, and that lookup returns nothing, because the eTA is attached to a number that no longer exists in your hand. You will not be allowed to board.
Waiting until the day before travel to apply for the new eTA. Most decisions arrive within minutes, but “most” is not “all.” Some applications take up to 72 hours, and a small number take longer. If you receive your new passport a week before your flight and wait until the evening before, you are gambling on a fast decision. Apply the same day the new passport arrives.
Entering details from the old passport instead of the new one. If your name was slightly different in your old document (a middle name added, a hyphen changed, a transliteration updated) the new eTA must reflect what is in the new passport, not what the old approval email said. The passport number in the eTA must exactly match the number in the physical document you will present at check-in.
Trying to travel with both the old and new passport. Some travellers reason that if they carry the old passport alongside the new one, the eTA on the old number somehow covers them. It does not. You must present the passport linked to your eTA when checking in. Presenting a new passport with no eTA attached, and an old passport with an eTA that is no longer your valid travel document, does not resolve the problem: airline staff need a valid eTA on the document you are travelling with.
Not checking whether the new eTA approval email arrived before heading to the airport. The approval email includes your eTA number. If you have not received that email, the new eTA has not been approved yet. Check before you leave for the airport, not at the check-in desk. If you are unsure whether your application went through, check the status of your application before travel day.
It is also worth reviewing what the Canada eTA approval email contains so you know exactly what to look for when the new one arrives.
FAQ
Can I transfer my old eTA to my new passport? No. There is no transfer or amendment process for an eTA when your passport changes. The eTA is digitally linked to the specific passport number used in the original application, and that link cannot be moved to a new document. A new application is the only path forward.
What if my old passport expires just before my trip but my eTA is still within its validity period? The same rule applies. Your eTA is tied to the old passport number. Once you are travelling on a new passport, even if the old one expired only days before your flight, the eTA on the old number will not be recognised when your new passport is scanned at check-in. You need a new eTA on the new passport.
How quickly can I get a new eTA if I need one urgently? Most eTA applications receive a decision within minutes. However, some take up to 72 hours, and a small number may take longer depending on the circumstances. There is no guaranteed express lane, which is why applying as soon as you have your new passport, rather than close to your departure, is the only reliable approach.
Do I need to reapply completely if my passport changes? Yes. A new eTA application is a new application in every sense. The original approved eTA carries no credit or carryover to the new one.
What happens if I travel with my old eTA and a new passport? You will not get past check-in. Airline staff scan your passport to confirm a valid eTA is attached to that document. Your new passport number has no eTA linked to it, so the scan returns nothing. Without a valid eTA on the passport you are presenting, you will not be allowed to board your flight to Canada.
The rule is simple even if the situation is stressful: one passport number, one eTA. A new passport always means a new application, regardless of why the passport changed. Apply as soon as the new document is in your hands, double-check that every detail matches exactly, and do not leave it until the days immediately before your flight.
For a full checklist of what to prepare, the first Canada eTA application checklist covers every step in detail.