ESTA vs Canada's eTA vs Australia's ETA: What Each One Costs in 2026
In 60 seconds: Flying to the US, Canada or Australia without a full visa? You'll still need a digital travel authorization — and the three big ones work very differently. The US ESTA now costs $40.62, Canada's eTA costs just CAD 7 (about $5), and Australia's ETA carries an AUD 20 service fee (about $13) — while Australians' eVisitor route is free. Here's how to get the right one and avoid the copycat websites that charge far more.
- US ESTA: $40.62 per application from October 16, 2026 (up from $21 a year ago) — valid 2 years, 90-day stays, 42 eligible countries. Apply only at esta.cbp.dhs.gov.
- Canada eTA: CAD 7 (about $5) — the cheapest of the three — valid up to 5 years, but only for air arrivals. Apply only at canada.ca.
- Australia ETA: AUD 20 service fee, 12-month validity, 90-day stays per entry; Europeans can use the free eVisitor instead. Apply via the official Australian ETA app.
- All three are digital, passport-linked and required before boarding — but none of them guarantees entry; border officers decide that.
- Beware lookalike websites charging $20–$80 for what costs $7 from a government: always apply on the official site.
Passport control at the airport: for most visitors to the US, Canada or Australia, a digital travel authorization is checked before you ever reach this point. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Mtaylor848), CC BY-SA 4.0.
Why travel authorizations exist at all
If you're from a visa-waiver country heading to the United States, Canada or Australia, you probably don't need a full visa — but you absolutely cannot just show up at the airport. All three countries require a digital pre-clearance that's checked by the airline before you board: the US calls it ESTA, Canada calls it eTA, and Australia calls it ETA.
They look similar on the surface — fill in an online form, pay a fee, get an approval linked to your passport — but the costs, validity periods and eligibility rules differ sharply. And the fees keep moving: the US nearly doubled its ESTA fee in September 2025 and just raised it again this month. So let's compare them properly, with every number verified against current 2026 sources. Fees checked October 2026 — always confirm on the official site before you apply.
The three authorizations, compared
| Feature | US ESTA | Canada eTA | Australia ETA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $40.62 per applicant (all ages) | CAD 7 (~$5 USD) per applicant | AUD 20 (~$13 USD) service fee; eVisitor is free |
| Valid for | 2 years, or until passport expires | Up to 5 years, or until passport expires | 12 months from approval |
| Max stay per visit | 90 days | Up to 6 months | 90 days (3 months) |
| Who needs it | Citizens of 42 Visa Waiver Program countries | Visa-exempt nationals flying to or through Canada (US citizens exempt; land/sea arrivals don't need it) | 34 eligible passports for the ETA; 36 European countries can use the free eVisitor |
| Apply at | esta.cbp.dhs.gov (official CBP site) | canada.ca/eta (official IRCC site) | Official Australian ETA app; eVisitor via ImmiAccount |
| Processing time | Minutes typically; apply at least 72 hours before travel | Minutes typically; sometimes several days if referred | Minutes to 24 hours; apply at least 2 weeks before travel |
The US ESTA: what changed in 2026
The ESTA is the one most likely to surprise you, because the price moved twice. Until September 2025 it cost $21. A 2025 federal law raised it to $40, then an inflation adjustment took it to $40.27 in January 2026 — and a Federal Register notice effective October 16, 2026 pushed it to $40.62. The fee is now tied to annual inflation, so expect it to keep creeping.
What the $40.62 covers: a $17 travel-promotion fee, a $13 per-authorization fee, and a $10.62 cost-recovery charge for CBP operations. Small mercy: if your application is denied, you pay only the processing portion — $10.62. Every traveler needs their own ESTA, including children and infants, and it doesn't guarantee entry: the CBP officer at the border makes the final call.
One thing that's easy to get wrong: the $250 Visa Integrity Fee making headlines in 2026 applies to people issued nonimmigrant visas. ESTA travelers are exempt — don't let a copycat website tell you otherwise. And apply only at esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Search results are full of private sites charging far more for the same form.
Canada's eTA: the cheapest of the three
Canada's eTA is almost comically cheap next to the ESTA: CAD 7 — about five US dollars — and it's the longest-lasting, valid for up to five years or until your passport expires. It covers multiple trips with stays of up to six months each. But the fine print matters: it's required only when you fly to or transit through a Canadian airport. Arrive by car, bus, train or cruise ship and you generally don't need one — though you still need a valid passport.
US citizens are exempt entirely. Everyone else visa-exempt, take note: if you show up at the airport without one, the airline won't let you board. The biggest trap here is third-party websites charging $20 to $80 for the same CAD 7 form — Canada's immigration department says explicitly to apply only on canada.ca.
Australia's ETA vs the free eVisitor
Australia is the confusing one, because it has two parallel systems that look almost identical. The ETA (subclass 601) is available to passport holders from 34 countries — including the US, Canada, Japan and the UK — and carries an AUD 20 service fee. Important detail: Australia's Department of Home Affairs stresses this is a service charge for using the ETA app, not a visa application charge. "There is no other charge payable for an ETA."
The eVisitor (subclass 651) is for citizens of 36 European countries and is genuinely free. Both are valid 12 months with 90-day stays per visit, both allow multiple entries, and neither permits paid work. The practical difference is the application channel: the ETA is lodged through the Australian ETA mobile app, which uses your phone's NFC to read your passport chip and asks for a selfie; the eVisitor goes through the standard ImmiAccount portal. If you're European and qualify for both, the choice is simple: same visa, twenty dollars or nothing.
One Australian quirk worth knowing: the ETA can't be extended on the ground. If you want to stay longer than 90 days continuously, your options are a Visitor Visa (subclass 600, from about AUD 250) or leaving and re-entering — and border officials watch for "visa-running" patterns.
What happens next: fees keep moving, Europe is coming
The trend across all three is one-directional: border permissions are becoming a real line item in trip budgets. The ESTA is now inflation-adjusted annually, so its price will move again — likely every October. Australia's AUD 20 service fee has held, but nothing stops a revision. The sleeper is Europe's ETIAS: roughly €20 (about $22), valid up to three years, but applications aren't open yet. When it launches, the same comparison will need a fourth column.
Our take: the cheapest mistake in travel is applying on the wrong website. Bookmark the three official addresses — esta.cbp.dhs.gov, canada.ca/eta, and the Australian ETA app — apply at least 72 hours before you fly, and treat any site charging more than the government fee as what it is: a middleman you don't need.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a new travel authorization if I get a new passport?
Yes — for all three. ESTA, eTA and ETA are electronically linked to the passport number you applied with. A new passport means a new application and a new fee.
Can I work on an ESTA, eTA or ETA?
No. All three cover tourism and short business visits (meetings, conferences) only. Paid work requires a proper work visa in each country.
What's the difference between Australia's ETA and eVisitor?
Almost nothing in practice — both give 12 months' validity and 90-day stays. The ETA (AUD 20, via the app) is for 34 countries including the US; the eVisitor (free, via ImmiAccount) is for 36 European countries.
Are "fast ESTA" or "express eTA" websites legitimate?
They're middlemen filling in the same government form for a markup — sometimes 10x the fee. Always apply on the official site: esta.cbp.dhs.gov, canada.ca/eta, or the Australian ETA app.
Does an approved authorization guarantee I'll be admitted?
No. Each one only lets you board the plane and present yourself at the border. The border officer makes the final admission decision.
Sources: IRCC official help centre (canada.ca); CBP / Federal Register ESTA fee schedule (via govtschemes.org, Oct 2026); Australian Department of Home Affairs ETA guidance; navoy.io ESTA/EU/Canada comparison; immigration.ca eTA guide.
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