Before a trip abroad, you may come across several words for travel paperwork: visa, eVisa, ETA, eTA, ESTA, arrival card. They sound alike, and some trips need more than one of them. This guide explains what each kind of document is for, with real examples, so you can tell which questions to ask about your own trip.
This is a general explanation, not legal advice. Entry rules depend on your passport, the country you're visiting and why you're going, and they change. Always check the current rules with the destination's government or its embassy.
The short version
| Document | What it is | Typical timing |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | Permission to travel to a country for a stated purpose | Applied for before travel, sometimes weeks ahead |
| eVisa | A visa you apply for and receive online | Applied for online before travel |
| ETA | A pre-travel authorisation for visitors who don't need a visa | Applied for online before travel |
| Arrival card | A form with your details and trip, for the border | Filled in shortly before or on arrival |
A visa, an eVisa and an ETA are each a kind of permission you ask for before you travel. An arrival card is different: it's information you give, usually about who you are, how you're arriving and where you'll stay.
Visas
A visa is permission from a country for you to travel there for a particular purpose, such as tourism, study or work, usually for a limited time. You normally apply before you travel, through the country's embassy or consulate or through an online system, and the country can ask for documents that support your purpose, such as bookings or proof of funds.
Whether you need a visa depends mostly on your nationality and on what you plan to do. Many countries let citizens of some other countries visit for short stays without a visa. That's usually called a visa exemption or visa waiver, and it comes with its own conditions, such as a maximum length of stay.
eVisas
An eVisa is a visa that you apply for, pay for where a fee applies, and receive online, instead of handing your passport in at an embassy. Legally, it's still a visa: the same kind of permission, issued through a different channel.
Thailand is an example. According to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, its e-Visa system became available worldwide from 1 January 2025, on the thaievisa.go.th site. Travellers whose nationality needs a visa for Thailand apply there before they travel.
ETAs: permission for visitors who don't need a visa
An electronic travel authorisation, or ETA, is a newer idea. It's for travellers who don't need a visa for a short visit but are still asked to register before they set off. The application is shorter than a visa application and is made online or in an app, and it's linked to your passport. Different countries use different names:
- United Kingdom: ETA. GOV.UK says most visitors need either an ETA or a visa. Visitors from outside Europe, including citizens of the United States and Canada, have needed an ETA since 8 January 2025, and Europeans since 2 April 2025. It lasts two years, or until the passport expires if that's sooner, and you apply in the UK ETA app or on GOV.UK.
- Canada: eTA. Visa-exempt foreign nationals need an eTA to fly to Canada or to transit through a Canadian airport. The Government of Canada says it's valid for up to five years or until the passport expires, and that you don't need one when you arrive by car, bus, train or boat. A new passport needs a new eTA.
- United States: ESTA. Travellers under the Visa Waiver Program use ESTA to travel by air or sea. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it's valid for up to two years or until the passport expires, and recommends applying at least 72 hours before travel.
- European Union: ETIAS. The EU plans a similar authorisation for visa-exempt visitors to many European countries. On its Smart Borders page, updated in April 2026, the European Commission says ETIAS is not yet in operation and that the start date will be announced several months before launch.
Because an ETA is tied to a passport, it usually stops being valid when you renew your passport, and you apply again with the new one.
Arrival cards
An arrival card asks for facts rather than permission: your name and passport details, how and when you're arriving, and where you'll stay. Many countries used paper cards handed out on the plane. More of them now use online forms filled in shortly before arrival:
- Thailand: the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC). It replaced the paper TM.6 card on 1 May 2025. All non-Thai nationals entering by air, land or sea fill it in within the 3 days before they arrive.
- Singapore: the SG Arrival Card. Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority asks travellers to submit it within 3 days before arrival, including the day of arrival, through its e-Service or the MyICA app.
- Malaysia: the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC). Malaysia asks visitors to submit it within 3 days before arrival. Some travellers are exempt, including Singapore citizens.
An arrival card is not a visa. Royal Thai Embassies say so plainly about the TDAC: it doesn't change the visa rules or the visa exemption scheme.
One trip, more than one document
These documents can stack. A traveller to Thailand whose nationality needs a visa applies for a Thai e-Visa before the trip, then also fills in the TDAC in the days before arrival. A traveller who doesn't need a visa still fills in the TDAC. A trip with a connection can add another layer: changing planes in Canada, for example, can need an eTA even if Canada isn't your destination.
A useful way to check your own trip is to ask three questions for each country you'll pass through:
- Do I need a visa for this visit, given my passport and my purpose?
- If not, is there a pre-travel authorisation such as an ETA?
- Is there an arrival card, and when can I send it?
None of them promises entry
A visa, an ETA or an arrival card lets you travel, but the decision to let you in is made at the border. GOV.UK says an ETA doesn't promise entry to the UK. The Government of Canada says the border officer makes the final decision. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says its officers decide on admission when you arrive. Our guide to what happens at immigration explains what that check usually looks like.
About calmvisa
calmvisa is an independent service, not affiliated with the Thai government or any other government. For now we help with one form, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card. You can also fill it in yourself at tdac.immigration.go.th. If Thailand is next, our entry checklist for Thailand covers the rest of the paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
Is an ETA a visa?
No. An ETA is a pre-travel authorisation for people who don't need a visa for a short visit. It's quicker to apply for and is linked to your passport, but like a visa, it doesn't promise entry.
Is an arrival card the same as a visa?
No. An arrival card collects your details and trip information for the border. If your nationality needs a visa, you still need one, and the arrival card comes on top of it.
Do I need a new ETA when I renew my passport?
Usually, yes. The UK ETA, Canada's eTA and the US ESTA are each linked to one passport, so a new passport generally means a new application.
How do I know which documents my trip needs?
Check the government site or embassy of each country you'll visit or transit through, for your passport and your purpose. Rules change, so check again close to your trip.