Travellers heading to Canada will soon no longer be able to enter the country at an airport without prior approval.
From March 15 next year, every visitor will be required to obtain an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) or a visa.
The ETA is similar to the US ESTA system, but lasts for five years instead of two, and costs CA$7 (US$5.62) instead of CA$18.67 (US$15).
A statement said: "The authorisation is electronically linked to your passport and is valid for five years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first."
Citizens of 60 countries, including Britain, do not need to apply for a visitor visa and must instead apply for an ETA. For a list of which countries fall into which category, click here.
Eligible travellers will be able to apply for an ETA from August 1; the system becomes mandatory from March 15.
Graham Smith