Family Travel Made Simple: A Parent's Complete Guide to Canadian eTA Applications for Children

Planning a family holiday to Canada is an exciting undertaking, but the administrative side of international travel can feel daunting when you are managing applications for multiple people at once. Unlike a solo traveller who simply needs to sort out their own eTA, parents must account for each child travelling with them — and the rules around minors come with their own set of requirements. Understanding these obligations well in advance is the single most effective way to avoid delays, stress, or being turned away at the airport.

Who Needs a Canadian eTA?

Canada's Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) is mandatory for visa-exempt foreign nationals who are flying into Canada or transiting through a Canadian airport. Crucially, this requirement applies to travellers of all ages. There is no minimum age exemption — a six-month-old infant requires an eTA just as much as an adult does.

If your child holds a passport from a visa-exempt country, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, France, or Japan, they will need their own individual eTA linked to their own passport. There is no provision for adding a child to a parent's eTA application. Each application is tied to a single passport, and each applicant — regardless of age — must have their authorisation approved before travel.

It is also worth noting that children who are dual nationals should apply using the passport they intend to present at the Canadian border. If your child holds both a visa-exempt nationality and a Canadian citizenship, they must enter Canada using their Canadian passport and do not require an eTA at all.

Applying on Behalf of Your Child

Because minors cannot legally submit applications on their own behalf, a parent or legal guardian completes the eTA application for them. The process itself is straightforward: you visit the official Government of Canada eTA application portal and fill in your child's details exactly as they appear in their passport.

The information required for a child's application mirrors that of an adult's, including:

• Full legal name (as printed in their passport)
• Date of birth
• Passport number, country of issue, and expiry date
• Nationality
• Contact email address (yours, as the parent or guardian)

Since the eTA is electronically linked to the passport, accuracy is paramount. A single transposed digit in a passport number or a misspelled name can result in a rejected application or complications at the border. Review every field carefully before submitting.

Payment of the CAD $7 application fee is required for each applicant, including children. Keep a record of the application reference number for each family member in case you need to follow up on the status.

Parental Consent Documentation: A Critical Consideration

One area that frequently catches families off guard is the question of parental consent when a child is travelling with only one parent, with a guardian, or as part of a school or organised group without their parents.

Canadian border services officers have the authority to question any adult accompanying a minor to verify that the child's travel is authorised by both parents or legal guardians. While there is no formal requirement to carry a consent letter for eTA purposes specifically, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) strongly recommends that a notarised consent letter be carried whenever:

• A child is travelling with only one parent
• A child is travelling with a grandparent, relative, or another adult who is not their legal guardian
• Parents have different surnames from their child
• The child is travelling alone

This letter should include the names and contact information of the absent parent or parents, the duration and destination of the trip, and explicit consent for the child to travel. Having this document notarised adds a layer of credibility that border officers appreciate. In some cases, you may also be asked to present proof of your relationship to the child — a birth certificate or adoption papers are suitable for this purpose.

Coordinating Multiple Applications: Practical Tips

When you are managing eTA applications for a family of four or five, organisation becomes your most valuable tool. Here are several strategies that experienced family travellers find useful.

Apply well ahead of your departure date. Most eTAs are approved within minutes, but some applications require additional processing that can take several days. Submitting applications at least a few weeks before travel gives you ample time to address any issues without the pressure of an imminent departure.

Keep a dedicated record for each traveller. Create a simple document or spreadsheet that lists each family member's passport number, eTA application reference number, approval status, and passport expiry date. This is particularly useful if you travel to Canada regularly, as you will want to know when individual eTAs — which are valid for five years or until the linked passport expires — need to be renewed.

Check passport validity before you apply. An eTA cannot be issued for a passport that is expired or close to expiring. Children's passports in many countries have shorter validity periods than adult passports — often five years rather than ten. Verify that every family member's passport will remain valid throughout the entire duration of your trip before beginning the application process.

Use the same email address or keep records clearly separated. Some parents use a single email address for all family applications. This is convenient for tracking, but make sure you can distinguish which approval confirmation corresponds to which passport. Each email will reference the specific passport number tied to that application.

Double-check the approval before travel. An eTA approval is confirmed by email and electronically linked to the passport. Before you head to the airport, verify that every family member — including the youngest — has received their approval. Do not assume that a submitted application is an approved one.

Travelling with Teenagers: Additional Nuances

Teenagers approaching adulthood sometimes travel with more independence — a school trip, a sports tournament, or a visit to relatives. If your teenager is travelling without you, the same eTA requirements apply, but you will want to ensure they carry supporting documentation.

For teenagers travelling alone or with a non-parental adult, a notarised parental consent letter is especially important. It should specify who will be responsible for the teenager during the trip and provide emergency contact information for the parents. Border officers are trained to be thorough when a minor arrives without their legal guardians, and being prepared with documentation will make the entry process considerably smoother.

What to Do If an Application Is Delayed or Refused

In the rare event that a child's eTA application is not immediately approved, the application will be flagged for further review. You will typically receive an email asking you to submit additional documentation. Respond promptly and provide whatever is requested — common asks include copies of the passport biodata page or clarification of personal details.

If an application is refused, the refusal notice will explain the general grounds. In most cases for children, refusals are administrative in nature — a data entry error or a discrepancy between the application and the passport — rather than based on inadmissibility concerns. Correcting the error and reapplying is usually all that is required.

Final Thoughts

Bringing your family to Canada is a rewarding experience, and the eTA process need not be a source of anxiety. The key is to approach it methodically: apply early, apply accurately, and gather the supporting documents that protect your children's smooth entry into the country. By treating each family member's application with the same attention to detail you would give your own, you set the entire trip up for success from the very first step.