Renewed Your Passport? Your Travel Authorisation Probably Did Not Come With It

Electronic travel authorisations last for years, and that long validity creates a trap. Travellers renew their passport in the meantime and assume the authorisation carries over. It does not.

Why does a new passport matter?
Because the authorisation is issued against a specific passport, not against you as a person. The airline and the border check the passport you present against the authorisation on record. If the numbers do not match, there is no valid authorisation.

What do the official rules say?
Canada is explicit. The eTA is valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first, and the government states that if you get a new passport, you need a new eTA.

The United Kingdom's ETA lasts for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner, and it is linked to the passport you applied with.

The United States says the same of ESTA. If a traveller's passport information changes, a new ESTA application is required.

Israel's ETA-IL works the same way, and also requires a new application after a change of name, gender or nationality.

My old passport has not expired. Does that help?
No. What matters is which passport you travel on. If you renewed early and are now using the new document, the authorisation attached to the old one does not transfer.

What about a passport that was lost or stolen?
The same applies. A replacement passport has a new number, and the authorisation linked to the old number cannot be used with it.

What if I changed my name?
A name change usually means a new passport, and that means a new authorisation. Some countries require a new application for a name change even before you replace the passport.

When do people find out?
Usually at check-in. The airline checks for a valid authorisation before boarding, and that check is made against the passport in your hand. A traveller who renewed their passport months ago and forgot about the authorisation is told at the desk.

Does the long validity make this worse?
Yes. A two-year or five-year authorisation is easy to forget. A traveller who applied for Canada in 2023 and renewed their passport in 2025 may not connect the two events when booking a 2026 trip.

What should I do?
Whenever you receive a new passport, list every country you hold an electronic authorisation for. Assume each one now needs a new application.

Apply using the passport you will actually travel on, and check that the number on the approval matches it exactly before you fly.

If you are travelling soon after a renewal, deal with the authorisations first, not last.

Verified against Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, GOV.UK and US Customs and Border Protection guidance, checked 1 October 2026.