Yes, every child needs their own Canada eTA, including infants. It has to be applied for separately, in advance, and linked to the child’s own passport. Skip it and you find out at the check-in desk: the agent scans your child’s passport and finds no eTA attached to it.
Every person who requires an eTA to fly to Canada — regardless of age — must have one individually linked to their own passport. A minor cannot travel on a parent’s eTA, and they cannot be added to yours. That means one form per child, each filled in separately — and since nothing is saved and the session expires, do them one at a time with that child’s passport open in front of you rather than juggling two sets of details at once. The application process itself follows the same basic steps as an adult application, but there are additional documents to prepare and a few details specific to children that are worth understanding before you start.
If you’re new to what an eTA actually is and how it works in general, the Canada eTA overview and what it covers is a useful starting point before reading on.
Understanding the eTA Requirement for Children Traveling to Canada
Canada considers anyone under 18 a minor, and that minor must follow the same entry rules as any other visitor from an eTA-eligible country — which means having their own valid eTA before boarding a flight to Canada. There are no exceptions based on age, including for infants.
The eTA is electronically linked to the specific passport used during the application. Airline staff scan the passport at check-in to confirm a valid eTA exists; without one, the child won’t be allowed to board. There’s no printed document to carry — the link is entirely digital — but the passport presented at check-in must be the exact passport used when applying.
One practical note: each family member must apply separately. You cannot submit a single application covering multiple children or combine a child’s application with your own. Plan for that when you’re budgeting your time before the trip — and don’t be surprised if a child’s eTA is approved while a parent’s application for the same trip is still pending, since each application is assessed on its own timeline.
Gathering Essential Information and Documents for a Minor’s eTA Application
Before opening the application form, gather everything you’ll need. For the eTA itself, the requirements are the same as for an adult:
- The child’s valid passport
- An email address (yours, as the parent completing the form)
- A credit or debit card for the fee
The passport is the critical item. Every detail you enter — the passport number, name, date of birth, nationality — must match the physical document exactly. A single transposed digit in the passport number can mean the child is unable to travel, and correcting it requires a full reapplication. Don’t type from memory; have the passport open in front of you.
Beyond the eTA itself, Canada may require supporting documents at the border depending on how your child is travelling. These aren’t submitted during the eTA application, but you should prepare them well before departure:
- A copy of the child’s birth certificate
- A letter of authorisation from the non-travelling parent (if only one parent is travelling with the child), including that parent’s address, phone number, and a photocopy of their signed passport or national identity card
- Legal custody documents if parents are separated or divorced and share custody — and ideally a letter from the other custodial parent as well
- A copy of the custody decree if one parent has sole custody, in which case the authorisation letter need only be signed by that parent
- A copy of the death certificate if one parent is deceased
- Guardianship or adoption papers if the child is travelling with a legal guardian or adoptive parents rather than biological parents
These documents don’t go into the eTA form, but a border services officer can and will ask for them on arrival. Having everything ready prevents problems that no approved eTA can fix at the border.
Navigating the Online eTA Application Form for a Child
The online form asks for standard personal information: the applicant’s full name, date of birth, passport number, country of citizenship, and answers to a short set of eligibility questions. When you’re completing this for a child, you’re entering their details — not yours.
A few points worth keeping in mind as you work through the form:
- Name: enter it exactly as it appears in the child’s passport, including any middle names shown there.
- Passport number: copy it character by character from the physical document. This is the single most error-prone field in any eTA application.
- Date of birth: double-check the format the form expects and confirm it matches the passport.
- Email address: this will be yours as the parent. The approval notification — which includes the eTA number — will arrive there.
Once you submit, most decisions arrive within minutes. Some applications take longer, and an email response is generally expected within 72 hours. Check your junk or spam folder, because automated messages from government systems are sometimes filtered there.
The first Canada eTA application checklist covers the full sequence of steps in detail and is worth reviewing alongside this guide, particularly if this is your first time applying.
The passport number in the approval email must match the child’s physical passport exactly. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to reapply — and if you discover the mismatch the night before a flight, there may not be time to fix it.
Specific Considerations for Children Traveling Alone or With One Parent
The eTA process is the same regardless of how a child is travelling, but the supporting documents at the border vary significantly.
Child travelling alone: The child must present their own passport — a parent’s passport listing the child cannot substitute. They’ll also need a copy of their birth certificate and a letter of authorisation signed by both parents or their legal guardian. That letter should include the parents’ or guardian’s address and phone number, plus the name, address, and phone number of the adult who will be responsible for the child in Canada.
Child travelling with one parent: The travelling parent should carry the child’s passport, a copy of the birth certificate, and a letter from the non-travelling parent. That letter needs the non-travelling parent’s contact details and a photocopy of their signed passport or national identity card.
Child travelling with someone other than a parent or legal guardian: This situation draws the closest scrutiny at the border. The accompanying adult needs written permission from the parents or guardians, with contact details and photocopies of the parents’ or guardians’ signed passports or national identity cards attached. Minors in this situation are checked more carefully, and border officers are specifically trained to identify children who may need protection.
In all cases, border services officers may not ask for every document — but they might. If an officer isn’t satisfied that the child’s travel is properly authorised, the child will not be admitted, regardless of a valid eTA. Bring everything.
After Applying: What to Expect and How to Check a Minor’s eTA Status
Once you’ve submitted the application and paid the fee, the process is largely the same as for an adult. Most approvals come through within minutes by email. Save the approval email and note the eTA number — it’s worth keeping for reference in case you need to follow up or check status later.
You can check the status of a pending application online if you haven’t received a response within the expected timeframe. For more detail on what the approval email contains and what each part of it means, the Canada eTA approval email explained article walks through it clearly.
When you reach check-in, present the child’s passport — the one linked to the eTA. No printed eTA document is needed. The airline scans the passport and confirms the link automatically.
At the border, the officer will verify the passport and any supporting documents. A valid eTA doesn’t guarantee entry; the officer assesses whether all requirements are met. For children, that includes being satisfied that the travel is authorised by a parent or legal guardian.
FAQ
Can I apply for eTAs for multiple children at the same time? No. Each person must apply separately, and you cannot apply for more than one eTA at a time. You’ll need to complete a full application for each child individually, one after the other.
What if my child has dual citizenship? Which passport your child uses matters. If your child holds dual Canadian citizenship, they do not need an eTA — they must travel to Canada using a valid Canadian passport. If one of the nationalities is Canadian, the eTA requirement doesn’t apply for air travel. For non-Canadian dual nationals, the passport used for the eTA application is the one that must be presented at check-in and at the border.
Do infants or newborns also need an eTA? Yes. There is no age minimum. Every minor who requires an eTA must have one, regardless of how young they are. An infant needs their own passport and their own eTA linked to it.
What happens if my child’s passport expires before their eTA? The eTA is linked to the specific passport used during the application. If that passport expires and the child gets a new one, they’ll need to apply for a new eTA linked to the new passport before travelling.
Is parental consent required if I’m not the child’s legal guardian but I’m travelling with them? Yes. Any adult travelling with a minor who is not that child’s parent or legal guardian must carry written permission from the parents or guardians. That letter should include the parents’ or guardians’ contact details and photocopies of their signed passports or national identity cards. Minors in this situation face closer scrutiny at the Canadian border.
The core rule is straightforward: every child needs their own eTA, applied for separately, using their own passport details entered exactly as they appear in the document. The eTA application itself is the same process as for an adult, but the border documentation — authorisation letters, birth certificates, custody papers — is where preparation for a minor’s trip genuinely differs. Start the application well before your travel date, check the approval email against the passport the moment it arrives, and bring every supporting document the situation calls for.