Canada eTA biometrics could become a new step for visa-exempt travellers flying to Canada, after the 2026 federal budget backed expanded identity checks.
Canada has not changed its eTA rules yet. However, the 2026 federal budget gives fresh financial backing to a plan that could require visa-exempt air travellers to submit a facial image remotely before travelling.
Budget funding moves eTA biometric checks forward
Canada is moving closer to adding facial biometric verification to its electronic travel authorization process for visa-exempt foreign nationals travelling by air. The measure was reaffirmed in the federal budget presented on November 5, 2026, as part of a broader plan to expand biometric data collection across immigration procedures.
Under the proposal, certain travellers who do not need a visitor visa but must obtain an eTA could be asked to provide a facial image remotely. Canadian authorities would use that image to help confirm identity before departure, with the stated aim of reducing document fraud and identity theft risks.
The budget proposes CA$90 million over four years, starting in fiscal year 2027–2028, for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. The funding would support broader biometric screening, including the collection and use of fingerprints and facial images.
For eTA applicants, the practical effect could be an extra step during the online application: taking a live facial image or uploading a photograph alongside passport and personal details. Canada has not yet explained the technical process, including whether images would be submitted through the existing online portal, a smartphone process, or a separate app. It has also not detailed how the images would be matched or whether some applicants would face further checks.
Regulatory work has been under way since 2025
The idea is not new. Canada’s plans to extend biometric data collection to eTA applicants have appeared in IRCC’s Forward Regulatory Plan since July 16, 2025. The department intends to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to broaden the collection and use of facial biometric data across immigration programs.
A related eTA modernization effort, examined earlier in 2026, involves the digital capture of passport information. That separate measure is designed to extract data remotely from travel documents, automatically fill parts of the application form, reduce data-entry mistakes, and improve passport authentication.
Together, the two initiatives point to a more layered eTA process. In future, applicants could face both digital passport authentication and the remote collection of a facial image, although neither change is currently mandatory.
Wider traveller biometrics strategy planned
The eTA proposal sits alongside wider federal plans for biometric technology in transport and border systems. The 2026 budget proposes CA$4.3 million over four years from 2026–2027 for Transport Canada to develop a national traveller biometrics strategy, potentially using digital identity credentials to make air travel more efficient and convenient.
That strategy is expected to involve airlines, airport operators, aviation security organizations and border authorities. Ottawa also plans to appoint a special advisor to guide the work and coordinate implementation. The strategy is expected to address privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, accessibility and freedom of choice.
Separately, the government has proposed CA$192.5 million over four years from 2027–2028, followed by CA$42.5 million each year, to modernize and stabilize the Canada Border Services Agency’s technology infrastructure. The Canadian Airports Council welcomed the biometrics-related initiatives in a November 6 statement, citing their potential to improve passenger processing and the airport experience.
What changes for visa-exempt travellers
Travellers from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, France and Germany, along with other visa-exempt nationalities, generally need an eTA when flying to Canada unless an exemption applies. Today, the application is completed online using mainly passport details and personal information. The official fee is CA$7, and many applications are approved within minutes, although some take longer.
An approved eTA is linked electronically to the passport used in the application and remains valid for up to five years, or until that passport expires, whichever comes first. Adding facial biometric verification would therefore make a process that is currently quick and document-based more demanding for applicants.
IRCC has acknowledged that the reform could create extra costs for applicants, though no increase in the eTA fee has been announced. The department has also recognized that Canada’s tourism industry may have concerns about additional administrative requirements for international visitors.
No start date announced
Canada has not set an implementation date for mandatory facial biometric submission by eTA applicants. Funding beginning in 2027–2028 does not by itself mean the requirement will take effect then. The regulatory proposal still needs to pass through the approval process, including consultations and advance publication of proposed amendments in the Canada Gazette for public feedback.
Until formal changes are introduced, the current eTA system remains in place. For travellers and the tourism industry, the key issue is how Canada balances stronger pre-departure identity checks with the speed and simplicity that have made the eTA process relatively straightforward.
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