Do you need an eTA to cruise to Canada?

Many travellers planning a cruise to Canada wonder whether an eTA is required, especially since the rules differ between air and sea arrivals. The good news is simple: the eTA applies only to travellers who fly into Canada, not to those who arrive by cruise ship. However, certain scenarios—such as flying to the departure port or flying home after the cruise—do require a valid eTA. This guide explains every case clearly, helping you understand when the eTA is mandatory, when it’s not needed at all, and what formalities you should prepare before your Canadian cruise.

📌 Essential requirements for a cruise to Canada

• ✈️ eTA required if you fly into Canada before your cruise.
• 🛳️ No eTA needed if you enter Canada only by cruise ship.
• 🛂 A valid passport is required for all Canadian cruise ports.
• 🔄 If you fly home after the cruise, an eTA is mandatory.
• ⏱️ Approval usually takes minutes.

✈️🚢 The general principle: the eTA depends on the mode of entry into Canada

Many travellers ask the same questions:

• “Do I need an eTA to cruise to Canada?”,
• “Do you need an eTA when entering Canada via a cruise ship?”,
• or “Is an eTA required if I arrive by sea?”

The rule is actually very simple:

• ✈️ An eTA is required only if you enter Canada by air.
• 🛳️ If you enter Canada solely by cruise ship, you do not need an eTA.

This comes directly from Immigration Canada: the eTA is an electronic travel authorization created exclusively for air arrivals. It does not apply when entering Canada by sea or by land.

This distinction creates confusion because most cruise passengers fly into Canada before boarding their ship.

And as soon as a flight is involved—whether before or after the cruise—the eTA becomes mandatory, even if the cruise itself is entirely maritime.

🟢 Cases where an eTA is required

You must apply for an eTA if any of the following situations apply:

• ✈️ You are flying to your port of departure in CanadaExample: flight from Paris → Montreal, then cruise on the St. Lawrence River.
• 🛬 You are arriving by air before or after the cruiseExample: cruise from Europe → Quebec → return flight to France.
• 🔄 Your cruise includes a domestic flightExample: cruise to Vancouver + domestic flight to Toronto or Montreal.

In these cases, entry by air requires an eTA, even if the cruise itself is 100% maritime.

🔵 Cases where the eTA is not required

You do not need an eTA if:

• 🛳️ Your cruise arrives in Canada by sea and you are not taking any flights.Example: transatlantic cruise Southampton → Quebec City.
• ⚓ Your cruise begins and ends in a Canadian port, with no air arrival. Example: round-trip cruise from Vancouver, Quebec City, Halifax, or Montreal.
• 🚢 You are making a simple maritime stopover, even if you disembark to visit. Example: 8-hour stopover in Halifax during a cruise to Greenland.

In all these situations, your entry into the country is by sea, so no eTA is required.

🚢 Cruises in Canada: 3 possible scenarios

Here are the situations encountered by 99% of European travelers.

• 1️⃣ Do I need an eTA if I fly into Canada before my cruise?
• 2️⃣ Do I need an eTA if my cruise arrives in Canada by sea from Europe?
• 3️⃣ Do I need an eTA if I finish my cruise in Canada and fly home afterward?

🛬➡️🛳️ 1. Arrival by plane then boarding the cruise ship (most common scenario)

This is the typical situation for travellers coming from the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, or any European country.

You fly to a Canadian port, for example:

• ✈️ London → Vancouver
• ✈️ Frankfurt → Toronto
• ✈️ Amsterdam → Halifax
• ✈️ Madrid → Montreal
• ✈️ Rome → Quebec City

Once you arrive, you board your cruise — whether it’s the Inside Passage to Alaska, a St. Lawrence River itinerary, the Maritimes & Nova Scotia, or a Transatlantic east coast route.

➡️ In this case, the eTA is required.

This applies even in the following situations:

• ✈️ you are only connecting through the airport on your way to the port
• ⏱️ you stay less than 24 hours in Canada
• 🛳️ your cruise departs immediately after you land

💡 The eTA is always linked to your arrival by air, not to the cruise itself.

✔ Validity period

• 5 years
• valid for all future flights to Canada made with the same passport

⚓🌍 2. Transatlantic cruise from Europe to Canada (maritime arrival)

This scenario is much less common but very popular among cruise enthusiasts. Several major cruise lines offer transatlantic itineraries to Canada, including:

• Cunard
• MSC
• Princess
• Holland America
• Norwegian Cruise Line

Typical departures are from well-known European ports such as:

• Southampton
• Le Havre
• Barcelona
• Lisbon
• Hamburg

These sail directly to Canada, usually arriving at ports like:

• Quebec City
• Halifax
• Montreal (when the ship continues up the St. Lawrence River)
• Saint John, New Brunswick

In this case, you are making a maritime entry, which does not require an eTA.

👉 You are free to disembark, explore, and pass through Canadian immigration with no eTA, as long as no flight is involved.

You only need to present:

• your valid passport,
• your boarding pass provided by the company.

⚠️ Important note

If your itinerary includes a flight from Canada after the cruise (e.g., Quebec City → London or Halifax → Frankfurt), then an eTA will be required for that return flight, even though your initial entry was maritime.

🛳️➡️✈️ 3. Disembarking in Canada then returning to France by plane

This is a common scenario on certain transatlantic crossings:

• Europe → Quebec in 7–10 days
• then flight from Quebec → Paris at the end of the trip.

Or:

• Cruise from Vancouver → Alaska → Vancouver
• then flight from Vancouver → Paris.

In this case, entry into Canada may be:

✔ by sea at the beginning (OK without an eTA)

but

✔ by air for the return (eTA required)

➡️ You must therefore apply for an eTA, even if you did not need one when you arrived by sea.

📝 Remember:

The eTA applies every time you fly to Canada, regardless of where you are coming from.

Requirements to prepare for a cruise to Canada

Going on a cruise to Canada requires you to comply with a few essential requirements, whether you arrive by plane, boat, or as part of an international cruise. The rules may vary depending on your itinerary, but the major requirements are simple: a valid passport, recommended insurance, no specific vaccination requirements, and compliance with Canadian customs rules during stopovers. Here is everything you need to know before you embark.

🛂 Passport: requirements for entering Canada on a cruise

For all cruises to Canada, a passport is required, even if you are only making a short stopover of a few hours.

👉 What Canada requires:

• 📘 Passport valid for the entire duration of the trip
• ❌ No additional validity requirements (no need for 6 months' validity after departure)
• 👶 Children must each have their own passport
• 📄 European identity cards are not accepted, even if you are coming on a cruise

Passports are systematically checked:

• when boarding at your port of departure,
• by Canadian authorities upon your first entry into Canada (Quebec, Montreal, Halifax, Vancouver, etc.),
• during certain stopovers that require you to go ashore.

💡 Even if the eTA is not required for you (maritime arrival), a passport remains the only document required to enter Canadian territory.

🛡️ Travel insurance: highly recommended

Canada has a high-quality healthcare system, but it is also among the most expensive in the world for foreign visitors.

A simple consultation can cost over €150, and hospitalization can run into thousands of euros.

That's why travel insurance that includes medical care and repatriation is strongly recommended.

✔ Good insurance should cover:

• 🚑 urgent medical expenses
• 🧳 luggage and personal effects
• 💳 trip interruption or cancellation
• 🛳️ cruise-related incidents (missed meals, delayed stopovers, alternative transportation)

Some cruise lines even require proof of insurance for remote destinations (e.g., Alaska).

💡 Tip: check whether your premium credit card already includes travel coverage.

💉 Vaccinations, restrictions, and possible checks

Canada does not require required vaccinations to enter its territory for a tourist cruise.

However, the authorities recommend that you are up to date with universal vaccinations:

• 💉 Diphtheria – Tetanus – Polio
• 💉 Measles – Mumps – Rubella
• 💉 Hepatitis B (depending on circumstances)

🦠 Health restrictions?

Since 2023, there are no longer any COVID requirements:

• ❌ no testing
• ❌ no proof of vaccination
• ❌ no quarantine

However, some companies may apply internal rules (screening, flu vigilance, etc.).

It is therefore advisable to check the information provided by your cruise line before departure.

⚓ Customs and disembarkation during stopovers

When cruising in Canada, you will have to go through immigration and customs services at your first Canadian stopover.

This is similar to a standard entry into the country:

• passport control,
• verification of cruise information,
• authorization to disembark or not.

✔ What you can take ashore

Canada is strict about certain products:

• ❌ Fruit, meat, fresh produce → often prohibited
• ❌ Weapons, defense sprays
• ✔ Cameras, phones
• ✔ Prescription medications

Each time you return to the ship, fresh food products may be confiscated.

💡 Helpful tip

Disembarking at ports such as Quebec City, Halifax, or Vancouver is generally very straightforward: the immigration areas are well organized to accommodate cruise passengers.