Canada eTA for US Green Card Holders (2026)

US green card holders do not need a Canada eTA: IRCC exempted US lawful permanent residents on 26 April 2022. IRCC's eligibility page still says so. Its entry requirements by country page adds that a US permanent resident needs no visa either. We re-read both on 5 November 2026.

The 3 things a green card holder should carry to Canada:

1. A valid passport from your country of nationality (needed by air).

2. A valid green card (Form I-551), or another proof of US status from IRCC's list.

3. Nothing else from IRCC: no eTA, no visa, no fee.

Do US green card holders need a visa for Canada?

No. A US green card holder needs no Canadian visitor visa and no eTA to visit Canada, whatever passport they hold. IRCC's entry requirements by country page says what you need "depends on whether you're a US national or a US lawful permanent resident", and it puts "a US national or permanent resident" on its list of travellers who need neither a visa nor an eTA.

Note: IRCC lists "a US national or permanent resident" among travellers who need no visa and no eTA. By air, a US lawful permanent resident brings a valid passport from their country of nationality and a valid green card or equivalent proof of US status. By land or water directly from the US, "You don't need to provide your passport" (IRCC, entry requirements by country, page dated 31 Jul 2026, read 7 Nov 2026)

Note: "As of April 26, 2022, lawful permanent residents of the United States are also exempt from the eTA requirement" (IRCC, eTA eligibility page, page dated 6 Aug 2026, read 7 Nov 2026)

This matters most for passports that would need a visa without the green card. An Indian or Chinese citizen with only a US visa pays CAD$100 for a Canadian visitor visa, plus CAD$85 for biometrics. The same person with a valid green card pays nothing and files nothing. The card has to be valid, or one of the other proofs of status listed in the next section.

So, a valid green card replaces both the Canadian visa and the eTA for a visit.

Who needs a Canada eTA in 2026?

Note: "U.S. citizens are exempt from the eTA requirement and must carry proper identification" such as a valid US passport (IRCC, eTA eligibility page, page dated 6 Aug 2026, read 5 Nov 2026)

Note: "As of April 26, 2022, lawful permanent residents of the United States are also exempt from the eTA requirement." For all methods of travel, they show a valid passport from their country of nationality (or an equivalent travel document) and a valid green card or other proof of US status (IRCC, eTA eligibility page, read 5 Nov 2026)

Note: IRCC lists "a US national or permanent resident" among travellers who need neither a visa nor an eTA (IRCC, entry requirements by country, page dated 31 Jul 2026, read 5 Nov 2026)

So, if you hold a green card, you need no eTA and no visa, whatever passport you carry.

What do green card holders need to show at the Canadian border?

IRCC's country page splits the rule by how you travel.

Getting there: By air: "a valid passport from your country of nationality (or an equivalent acceptable travel document)" and "a valid permanent resident (green) card (or equivalent valid proof of status in the US)" (IRCC, entry requirements by country, read 5 Nov 2026)

Getting there: By land or water directly from the US or Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon: you "only need to provide" your valid green card or equivalent proof of status. "You don't need to provide your passport" (same page, read 5 Nov 2026)

The eligibility page says to show the passport and the card "for all methods of travel". The two IRCC pages differ on the land rule. Carry both, and you meet either version.

The proofs of US status IRCC accepts, per both pages:

• A valid permanent resident card (Form I-551).

• A non-US passport with an unexpired temporary I-551 (ADIT) stamp.

• A non-US passport with a temporary I-551 printed note on an immigrant visa, plus a CBP admission stamp.

• An expired green card shown with a Form I-797 notice for a pending Form I-751, I-829 or I-90.

• A valid re-entry permit (Form I-327).

• A Form I-94 with an unexpired temporary I-551 (ADIT) stamp and a passport-style photo.

Note: Dual citizens: "If you're a dual Canadian citizen, you must travel with a valid Canadian passport." "American-Canadians can travel with a valid Canadian or U.S. passport" (IRCC, eTA eligibility page, read 5 Nov 2026)

So, carry your passport and green card on every trip, even though IRCC says the card alone works on land.

How much does a Canada eTA cost, and how long does it last?

This part is for travellers who do need an eTA, such as a UK or French passport holder who flies to Canada.

Price: An eTA costs CAD$7 and is non-refundable. You need a passport from a visa-exempt country, an email address and a card such as Visa, Mastercard or American Express (IRCC, eTA how to apply, page dated 28 Aug 2026, read 5 Nov 2026)

Note: "Most applications are approved within minutes." If you must send documents, IRCC emails instructions within 72 hours (same page). IRCC's eTA facts page says some requests "can take several days" (IRCC, eTA facts, read 5 Nov 2026)

Note: An eTA is valid "up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first". A new passport needs a new eTA. You can make short stays, "normally for up to six months at a time" (IRCC, eTA facts, read 5 Nov 2026)

The apply page says: "This is the Government of Canada's official website to apply for an eTA." Apply only there, at canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/eta/apply.html. Any site that charges more than CAD$7 is not the government.

So, an eTA costs CAD$7, usually comes in minutes and lasts up to 5 years.

Do you need an eTA to drive into Canada?

No. The eTA is for flying.

Getting there: Visa-exempt travellers need an eTA to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport. They "do not need an eTA when arriving by car, bus, train or boat (including a cruise ship)" (IRCC, eTA facts, read 5 Nov 2026)

Green card holders and US citizens need no eTA by any method. Travellers from the visa-required countries on IRCC's eTA list are different: the eTA only covers air travel, so they need a visitor visa to drive in.

If you plan to walk over the Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls, our Niagara Falls from New York City guide covers the crossing.

So, for a road trip or a cruise, a visa-exempt traveller needs no eTA.

Can I get a Canada eTA with a US visa?

A US visa alone does not let you into Canada. It matters for one group: some visa-required passports can apply for an eTA instead of a visitor visa if they fly.

Note: IRCC's list of eligible visa-required countries, page dated 30 Oct 2026: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico, Morocco, Panama, the Philippines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay. That is 15 countries (IRCC, eTA for citizens from some visa-required countries, read 5 Nov 2026)

Note: You must meet all 3 conditions on that page: you fly to or transit through a Canadian airport; you plan a temporary stay, normally up to 6 months; and you held a Canadian visitor visa in the past 10 years or hold a valid US nonimmigrant visa. The US visa must be valid on the day you apply, not on the day you travel (same page, read 5 Nov 2026)

Note: "You need a visitor visa to come to Canada by car, bus, train or boat," including a cruise ship, "even if they are not leaving the ship" (same page, read 5 Nov 2026)

On 15 October 2026 the same page also listed Indonesia and Malaysia, marked new. On 5 November 2026 (page dated 30 October 2026) they were gone from that list, and a second read in a browser the same day showed the same 15 countries. IRCC's country page, dated 31 July 2026, still says some citizens of Indonesia and Malaysia "may be eligible for an eTA". If you hold one of those passports, run IRCC's visa and eTA tool before you book.

Price: Visitor visa: CAD$100 per person, or CAD$500 for a family of 5 or more applying together. Biometrics: CAD$85 per person, or CAD$170 for a family of 2 or more applying together (IRCC fee list, modified 21 Sep 2026, read 5 Nov 2026)

So, a US visa helps only Filipino, Mexican and other listed passports, and only by air.

What we checked and what can change

Read on 5 November 2026, and the first two pages re-read on 7 November 2026 for the visa section:

• IRCC's eTA eligibility page (dated 6 Aug 2026): US citizens exempt, US permanent residents exempt since 26 April 2022, the list of proofs of status, the dual citizen rule.

• IRCC's entry requirements by country page (dated 31 Jul 2026): no visa or eTA for US permanent residents, the air versus land rule, India and China as visa required.

• IRCC's eTA how to apply page (dated 28 Aug 2026): CAD$7, what you need, approval in minutes, the 72-hour document email.

• IRCC's eTA facts page (dated 23 Apr 2024): 5-year validity, 6-month stays, the land and sea rule.

• IRCC's page for some visa-required countries (dated 30 Oct 2026): the 15 countries and the 3 conditions.

• IRCC's fee list (modified 21 Sep 2026): eTA CAD$7, visitor visa CAD$100, biometrics CAD$85.

Not confirmed: whether Indonesia and Malaysia are still on the eTA list (the two IRCC pages disagree), and the result of IRCC's tool for any single passport. We did not visit a border crossing for this page. IRCC changes these lists, so read the live pages before you book.