Who needs a UK ETA, what it costs and how to apply

The UK now wants advance permission from almost every visitor. If you can make a short trip without a visa, you need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), a digital permission linked to your passport. It covers the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It is not a visa, and it does not guarantee entry.

Who needs one

GOV.UK says you usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you are from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries. The Home Office put the total at 85 nationalities when it announced enforcement, and it includes EU citizens other than the Irish. Each traveller needs their own ETA, babies included, and you can apply for family members.

EU visitors should also travel on a passport. Under the rules set out on GOV.UK, national identity cards are accepted only in narrow cases, such as for people with EU Settlement Scheme status.

Who is exempt

British and Irish citizens never need one. That includes dual nationals, who cannot get an ETA at all: they should travel on a British or Irish passport, or on another passport holding a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode.

You are also exempt if you hold a UK visa or permission to live, work or study in the UK, including settled or pre-settled status, or if you travel on a British overseas territories citizen or British National (Overseas) passport. Legal residents of Ireland arriving from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man need no ETA either, as long as their nationality does not need a visa. Anyone in that group aged 16 or over must carry proof of Irish residence, such as an Irish driving licence or an Irish Residence Permit.

What it costs and how to apply

An ETA costs £20. The fee rose from £16 on 8 April 2026, according to the Home Office fee table. It was £10 when the worldwide rollout was announced in 2024.

Apply on the official UK ETA app or on GOV.UK. Other sites charge more and cannot get you a faster answer. You need the passport you will travel on, an email address, a card or Apple Pay or Google Pay, and a photo of your face that meets the digital photo rules; the app uses your phone's camera to scan both. Most people hear within a day, and app applicants often get an automatic decision in minutes, but the Home Office advises applying at least three working days ahead. The fee is not refunded, even if you are rejected.

How long it lasts

An ETA lasts two years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. It covers any number of visits of up to six months each, for holidays, family visits, business trips or short courses. It is tied to the passport you applied with, so travel on that one. It does not let you work, apart from narrow exceptions such as permitted paid engagements.

A rejected application can be made again. A refusal cannot be appealed, and you would need to apply for a visa instead.

Transit

If your connection takes you through UK passport control, you need an ETA. If you stay airside, you do not, for now. The Home Office says passengers transiting Heathrow and Manchester without going through passport control "do not currently need an ETA". Ask your airline if you are unsure which applies to your connection.

How the rollout ran

The scheme opened to Gulf visitors in late 2023. Non-Europeans, including Americans, Canadians and Australians, have needed an ETA since 8 January 2025, and Europeans since 2 April 2025. At first the rule was not strictly enforced. Since 25 February 2026 it has been: carriers check your permission before you board, and without an ETA or an exemption you do not travel. The Home Office says it issued 24.8 million ETAs between the October 2023 launch and the end of 2025.