Short version: you don’t need the email or the number to fly, because an approved eTA is linked to your passport. To confirm it still exists and is valid, you need the application number from your confirmation email and the passport you applied with. You can check your eTA status through a paid private service, separate from the Government of Canada.
An eTA is not a document you carry. It’s an electronic record tied to your passport number, and if it was approved, it still exists in the system whether you have the email or not. Most travellers in this situation do not need to reapply. The question is simply whether your existing eTA is still valid, and that’s a check you can do in a few minutes.
| What you lost | Reapply? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The approval email | No | Search your inboxes, spam included, for emails from IRCC |
| The application number | Usually no | Look for the IRCC email; if none arrived within 72 hours of applying, use IRCC’s web form |
| The passport you applied with | Yes | Apply again with the new passport |
| An eTA that has expired | Yes | Apply again; there is no renewal |
Your eTA Probably Still Exists: Here’s How to Check
Start with your email, but search smarter. The confirmation comes from the Government of Canada’s immigration system, so search for “IRCC” or “Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship” rather than just “eTA.” Check your spam and any secondary email addresses you might have used. If you find an email with an application number, that’s all you need to confirm your status.
Once you have the application number, use the official eTA status tool on canada.ca. It is a separate tool for eTAs, not the general application tracker used for other kinds of applications. You enter the application number from your confirmation email together with the details of the passport you applied with, and it shows the status of a pending application or the expiry date of an existing eTA. If your application was very recent and nothing has come through yet, you are likely still waiting on processing rather than dealing with a lost approval. The Canada eTA processing time guide covers what typical timelines look like and when waiting becomes a concern.
How to Check Your eTA Without the Application Number
The status tool asks for the number, so the first job is to find it. Search your inboxes for emails from IRCC, and try the words “Electronic Travel Authorization” or “eTA” with the address you used on the application. If you applied through a service, the same tool still shows the status. If you applied more than 72 hours ago and no email with an application number ever arrived, IRCC’s guidance is to use its web form: choose “Electronic Travel Authorization” as the topic, then “Case Specific Enquiries”. A second application is usually not needed while you wait.
Three Reasons Your eTA Might Be Invalid (and What That Means)
Finding your eTA in the system is one thing; confirming it’s actually usable is another. There are three situations where a valid-looking eTA won’t get you on a plane.
Your passport has changed. An eTA is linked to the specific passport you used when you applied. If you’ve renewed your passport since then, the eTA attached to the old passport does not transfer automatically. You’ll need to apply again using your new passport details. This is the single most common reason a traveller thinks their eTA is “lost” when it’s actually just attached to a document they no longer carry. If you’re in this situation, the full picture is laid out in what happens to your eTA after passport details change.
Your eTA has expired. An eTA is valid for a specific period. If significant time has passed since you applied, check the expiry date in the status tool. An expired eTA means reapplying: there’s no renewal process, just a new application.
Your eTA has been suspended. This is less common, but an eTA can be temporarily suspended under public health measures, and you would be told by email. A suspended eTA cannot be used to board a plane.
Here’s a quick way to read your situation against these three scenarios:
| eTA is still valid | eTA is invalid or unusable | |
|---|---|---|
| Passport status | Same passport used in the original application | Passport renewed since eTA was issued |
| eTA age | Not past expiry date | Expired, or expiry is imminent |
| Confirmation found | Email or status tool shows “approved” | No record found, or status shows “expired” or “suspended” |
| Next step | Travel as planned, no action needed | Reapply before booking or checking in |
How to Reapply If Checking Confirms You Need To
If the three-step check above lands you in the right column of that table, reapplying is straightforward. The process is the same as a first application: you’ll need your current passport, contact details, and answers to the standard background questions. Don’t leave this until the night before your flight. If your case goes to manual review, you’ll want time to follow up.
A few things that catch people out during reapplication:
Make sure every detail matches your current passport exactly. A mismatch between the name or passport number on your eTA and the document you present at check-in is grounds for being refused boarding. If you’ve made an error on a previous application, the process for correcting it is different from simply reapplying. How to correct mistakes on your Canada eTA application explains when a correction is the right route versus starting fresh.
If you’re a dual citizen, you need to apply with the passport of the eTA-eligible country, and then travel using that same passport. Mixing them up is a surprisingly easy mistake that invalidates the whole exercise.
Transit passengers are not exempt. If you’re connecting through a Canadian airport without leaving the international zone, you still need a valid eTA. The rules and the check process are the same.
What Happens at the Airport Once You Have a Valid eTA
This is where the “lost eTA” worry tends to resurface, and it’s worth putting it to rest. You don’t present your eTA at check-in the way you would a boarding pass or a visa sticker. The airline’s check-in system queries your passport number electronically and confirms your eTA status automatically. If it comes back valid, you board. If it doesn’t, you don’t, which is exactly why confirming your status before you get to the airport matters.
You don’t need to print anything, carry a confirmation number, or show an email. The eTA is in the system, and the system talks to the airline. If the airline’s check-in doesn’t recognise it, what to do at Air Canada check-in walks through the usual causes. At the Canadian border itself, the officer can see your eTA status the moment they scan your passport.
The practical implication: if the status tool shows your eTA as approved and your passport hasn’t changed, you’re ready to fly. The absence of a confirmation email is not a problem. What would be a problem is discovering at the check-in counter that your authorization expired six months ago, or that it’s tied to a passport you left at home.
Run the status check now, before you book anything else. If the status tool confirms an active eTA on your current passport, you’re done. If it surfaces a problem (expiry, a passport mismatch, or a suspension), you’ll have the lead time to sort it out without the trip being at risk.
The Short Version
- You don’t need the email or the number to fly: the eTA is linked to your passport.
- To confirm it, use the application number from the email plus the passport you applied with.
- If the passport changed or the eTA expired, apply again before you fly.
FAQ
How do I retrieve my eTA for Canada? There is nothing to download or carry: the eTA is linked to your passport. To confirm it, find the confirmation email, take the application number from it and enter it in the official eTA status tool together with your passport details.
How to check eTA status without eTA number? The status tool asks for the application number, so look for the IRCC email first. If you applied more than 72 hours ago and no email with a number arrived, use IRCC’s web form (Electronic Travel Authorization, then Case Specific Enquiries). A second application is usually not needed.
Where can I find my eTA reference number? It is in the email IRCC sent after you applied, usually at the top. Check spam and any secondary addresses. If you paid but never received it, see the eTA number without the email.
How do I find a previous eTA application? Search every inbox you may have used for emails from IRCC and “Electronic Travel Authorization”, spam folder included. The application number in that email, together with the passport you applied with, lets you look the eTA up in the status tool.
Do I have to reapply if I only lost the email? No. The eTA is linked to your passport, not to the email. You only reapply if you now hold a different passport or the eTA has expired.
Do I need my eTA number at check-in? No. The airline checks your eTA electronically against your passport, so you don’t need to show the number or the email. What matters is that the passport you present is the one the eTA was issued for.