UK ETA Explained: Who Needs One, How Much It Costs and How to Apply

The UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is a digital permission that visitors who do not need a visa must get before travelling to the UK. It costs £20, usually takes minutes to approve, and lasts for two years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Since 25 February 2026, airlines and other carriers have been required to check for it, and travellers without valid permission can be refused boarding. This guide covers who needs a UK ETA, how to apply and what it does and does not allow.

If you hold a US, Canadian, Australian or European passport and are planning a holiday, business trip or short course in Britain, this guide explains who needs an ETA, how to apply, what it allows and the mistakes to avoid.

What Is the UK ETA?

An ETA is not a visa. It is a pre-travel check, similar to the US ESTA, that is linked digitally to your passport. According to GOV.UK, it lets you travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to six months at a time for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study. You can make as many trips as you like while it is valid.

The UK government introduced the scheme in stages from October 2023. In February 2026 the Home Office said more than 19 million visitors had applied successfully, and that from 25 February 2026 it had become mandatory for visitors of 85 nationalities, including those from the United States, Canada and France, to have digital permission to travel.

Who Needs a UK ETA?

In broad terms, you need an ETA if you are coming to the UK as a visitor and you do not need a visa. GOV.UK says that this usually applies to people from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada and certain other countries. The official “check if you need a UK visa” tool on GOV.UK gives the definitive answer for your nationality.

Each traveller needs their own ETA, including babies and children. You also need one if you are transiting through a UK airport and will pass through border control (“landside”), but not usually if you remain airside; check with your airline if unsure.

Who Does Not Need an ETA?

According to GOV.UK, you do not need an ETA if, among other things:

• You are a British or Irish citizen.
• You already have a UK visa, or permission to live, work or study in the UK, including settled or pre-settled status.
• You are transiting airside without passing through UK border control.
• You live in Ireland and are travelling to the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, and you are not a visa national.

Dual citizens should take care. If you are a dual national with British or Irish citizenship, you cannot get an ETA. You must travel on a valid British or Irish passport, or another passport with a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. The Home Office said in February 2026 that carriers may, at their discretion, accept some expired British passports.

How Much Does a UK ETA Cost?

The fee is £20. It rose from £16 for applications made on or after 8 April 2026, as part of a wider round of Home Office fee changes. You pay by credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. The fee is not refundable, even if your application is refused. GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more and imitate official services, so apply only through GOV.UK or the official “UK ETA” app.

For comparison, the Home Office has pointed to the US ESTA, which costs $40, and the EU’s planned ETIAS, which it expected to cost €20 once introduced.

How Do You Apply for a UK ETA?

You can apply on the official UK ETA app for Android or iPhone, or online through GOV.UK. You will need:

• The passport you will travel with.
• An email address.
• A payment method.
• A photo of your face that meets the rules for digital photos, and, if applying online, a photo of your passport.

The app can scan your passport and face with your phone’s camera. You can apply for other people, including children, on the app if they are with you; if they are not, apply online for them. You will answer questions about your circumstances, including criminal convictions.

How Long Does a UK ETA Take?

GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision by email within a day, but it can take up to three working days. The Home Office says the vast majority of applicants get an automatic decision within minutes. Even so, the official advice is to allow up to three working days, and you must not travel until you have received an email confirming your ETA. The email includes a 16-digit ETA reference number.

You do not need to print anything. Your ETA is linked to your passport, so you just show that passport when you travel.

What Can and Can’t You Do With an ETA?

An ETA allows you to visit for up to six months for tourism, family visits, business meetings and short-term study, to come for up to three months under the Creative Worker visa concession, to do a permitted paid engagement, or to transit landside. According to GOV.UK, it does not allow you to:

• Stay longer than six months.
• Do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless it is a permitted paid engagement or under the creative worker concession.
• Claim public funds (benefits).
• Live in the UK through frequent or successive visits.
• Marry, form a civil partnership or give notice of either; you need a Marriage Visitor visa.

An ETA does not guarantee entry. Border Force officers can still refuse you if you do not meet the visitor rules. GOV.UK suggests that people with a criminal record, or who have previously been refused entry, may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead.

What Happens When You Get a New Passport?

Because an ETA is tied to a specific passport, a new passport means a new ETA. The same applies if your application details change or your ETA is refused: you will need to apply again. You can check whether you have an ETA, and when it expires, using the official online checker.

Is an ETA Enough for Students?

For short courses of up to six months, an ETA may be enough, because short-term study is one of the permitted activities. For longer courses, you will need a Student visa. Our study abroad guide sets out the costs, and our report on UK student visa delays explains recent processing problems. If you are travelling on to mainland Europe, check the latest Schengen rules too; we covered the Schengen visa waiver process for Gulf states.

What Are Common UK ETA Mistakes?

• Using an unofficial website that charges extra fees.
• Leaving it too late, rather than allowing up to three working days.
• Forgetting the children, who each need their own ETA.
• Applying with the wrong passport, for example a second passport you will not travel on.
• Assuming dual citizens can use an ETA; they cannot if they hold British or Irish citizenship.

What Are the Key Takeaways?

• Most visa-free visitors, including Americans, Canadians, Australians and Europeans, need an ETA.
• It costs £20 and lasts two years or until your passport expires.
• Apply only via GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app, and allow up to three working days.
• An ETA is for visits of up to six months; it does not allow work or long-term study.

Immigration rules change frequently. Always check GOV.UK before you travel.

Featured image: Passport control, UK Border (42031045291), by Eric Fischer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped, colour-graded and combined with MediaPavilion branding.

Sources

• GOV.UK — Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK (accessed 23 October 2026).
• GOV.UK (Home Office) — UK enforces digital permission to travel (24 February 2026).
• Home Office in the media — Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) factsheet: April 2026 (April 2026).
• Lewis Silkin — UK ETAs: who needs one and when (27 March 2026).
• GOV.UK — Check if you need a UK visa (accessed 23 October 2026).