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If you're planning a trip to the United Kingdom and you don't usually need a visa, you've probably run into a new requirement called the UK ETA. Maybe your airline flagged it at booking. Maybe a friend mentioned they had to apply for one. Maybe you just saw it pop up when checking entry rules for your trip.
This guide covers what the UK ETA is, who needs one, how to get it, and the situations where the rules get tricky.
ETA stands for Electronic Travel Authorisation. It's a digital permission to travel to the UK, issued by the UK Home Office, and it's linked electronically to the passport you used when you applied.
It's the UK's version of the US ESTA, the Canadian eTA, or the Australian ETA. The idea is the same: certain travelers who don't need a full visa must still get pre-approved before they board a flight, ferry, or train to the country. The UK checks your details against security databases in advance, and if nothing raises a flag, you're cleared to travel.
You don't get a physical document. There's no sticker in your passport. The approval lives in a government database tied to your passport number, and airlines and carriers check it automatically before you board.
This is the single most important thing to understand, because it shapes almost everything else about the scheme.
A UK ETA is permission to travel to the UK. A visa is permission to enter the UK. Those sound similar, but they're legally different.
With an ETA, you still arrive at UK Border Force at the airport or port, and an officer still decides whether to let you in. Border Force can, in theory, turn you away even with a valid ETA if they think you don't qualify for entry. In practice this is rare for ordinary tourists, but the ETA doesn't guarantee you entry the way a visa does.
The other practical difference: an ETA is for short visits only, up to 6 months. If you're coming to the UK to work long-term, study a full degree, live with a spouse, or stay beyond 6 months, you need a visa, not an ETA.
You need a UK ETA if all of the following are true:
The scheme now covers roughly 85 nationalities. That includes citizens of:
If your country's passport normally lets you visit the UK visa-free for up to 6 months, you now need an ETA on top of that passport.
Every traveler needs their own ETA, including babies and children. There's no family application. Each person gets their own approval tied to their own passport.
Several groups are exempt. You don't need an ETA if you:
One rule catches a lot of people off guard: dual British citizens cannot use an ETA. Even if you hold a foreign passport alongside your British one, you must travel to the UK on your British passport, or on a foreign passport with a valid certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. This has been strictly enforced since February 25, 2026.
Transit is another common question. If you're simply changing planes at Heathrow or Manchester and staying in the international transit area without passing through UK border control, you don't currently need an ETA. If you pass through immigration (for example, to collect and re-check baggage, switch airports, or stay overnight), you do.
An approved ETA lets you travel to the UK for short stays of up to 6 months at a time, for purposes including:
You can't use an ETA to work for a UK employer, claim public funds, marry a UK citizen, or live in the UK long term. Those activities all require the appropriate visa.
You can enter the UK multiple times on the same ETA during its validity period. There's no limit on the number of trips, as long as each individual visit stays under 6 months and you're clearly visiting, not effectively living in the UK.
The UK ETA currently costs £20 per person. The fee rose from £16 to £20 on April 8, 2026.
That applies to every traveler, including infants. A family of four pays £80. There's no family discount and no refund if your application is refused.
A quick warning: the official government fee is £20, and only the UK Home Office can actually issue your ETA. You'll see websites that charge more, sometimes significantly more, to assist with your application. Some are legitimate help services that walk you through the process, check your application for common mistakes, and handle communication with the Home Office on your behalf. Others are copycat sites designed to look like the government portal. Whichever route you choose, make sure you know who you're paying and what you're getting.
An approved ETA is valid for two years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first.
That passport condition trips up a lot of travelers. The ETA is tied to the specific passport you applied with. If you renew your passport, get a new one for any reason, or your passport expires during the two-year window, your ETA becomes invalid. You have to apply again with the new passport, even if your original ETA still had time left.
If you're planning travel and your passport renewal is coming up, it's usually worth sorting the new passport first, then applying for the ETA against the new passport number.
There are two official application routes: the UK ETA mobile app (available on iOS and Android) and the GOV.UK website.
The app tends to be the smoother experience because your phone can:
The website works if you don't have a compatible phone, or you're applying for someone else who isn't physically with you.
Either way, the application asks for:
For applicants under 18, you also need to provide contact information for someone with parental responsibility.
Most applications get a decision within minutes. The system runs your details against security databases, and if nothing triggers a review, you get an automatic approval by email.
If your application needs a closer look by a Home Office caseworker, the Home Office says to allow up to three working days. In practice, most manual reviews resolve faster, but you should never apply the day of your flight and count on same-day approval.
The official guidance is to apply at least three working days before you travel. For peace of mind, a week or two ahead is sensible, especially during peak travel seasons.
There's no formal right of appeal for a refused ETA. Your options depend on why you were refused:
Reapplying immediately with the same information rarely works. If something about your situation means you don't qualify for an ETA, the same information won't change the outcome the second time around.
If you have a criminal record. Even minor convictions can complicate an ETA application. The questions about criminal history are taken seriously, and giving false answers is itself grounds for refusal and potential future immigration problems. If you have any concerns, it's worth getting advice before applying.
If you're traveling with children. Every child, including babies, needs their own ETA tied to their own passport. You can apply on their behalf. Plan for this cost and time when booking family trips.
If your passport is close to expiring. Renew first, then apply for the ETA. Otherwise you'll end up buying two ETAs in short succession.
If you're visiting the Channel Islands or Isle of Man. From April 23, 2026, an ETA is also required for travel to Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man. You can use the same ETA for those territories and the UK mainland.
If you're transiting. Airside transit at Heathrow or Manchester (staying in the international zone) does not currently require an ETA. Landside transit, meaning passing through border control to change airports, stay overnight, or reach onward transport, does.
The UK ETA scheme rolled out in stages starting in late 2023. For most of 2024 and 2025, it expanded country by country, and enforcement was light. You could sometimes get away with traveling without one if you forgot.
That ended on February 25, 2026. From that date, carriers (airlines, ferry operators, and rail services like Eurostar) are required to verify a valid ETA or visa before they let you board. If you show up at the gate without one, they won't let you on the plane.
This is what "no permission, no travel" means in practice: the enforcement happens at the airline counter, not at the UK border.
A UK ETA is a £20 digital travel permission that most non-British, non-Irish visitors now need before traveling to the UK. It's valid for two years, or until your passport expires. It covers short visits of up to 6 months for tourism, family, business, and short study. You apply through the UK ETA app or the GOV.UK website. Most approvals come through in minutes, but allow three working days to be safe. Each traveler, including children, needs their own.
Get it sorted well before you travel, and keep your passport stable during the validity period so you don't end up having to apply again.
By Jenna Donovan
Why UK ETAs Get Refused
This guide covers the actual reasons UK ETAs get refused, what happens next when they do, and the specific steps that either prevent a refusal in the first place or give you a path forward after one.
By Jenna Donovan
Do US Citizens Need a UK ETA?
If you're an American planning a trip to London, Edinburgh, Manchester, or anywhere else in the UK, this guide covers what you need to know, how to apply, and the specific situations that trip up US travelers.
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