UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA): who needs it and how to apply

Travellers who do not need a visa for short stays, including citizens of EU countries, the USA, Canada and Australia, must hold an ETA to visit, and also to transit landside through border control. You do not need one if you are British or Irish, already hold a UK visa or permission to live, work or study in the UK, transit airside without crossing border control, or live in Ireland and travel from the Common Travel Area. Visa nationals must apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead.

An ETA covers tourism, visiting family and friends, business visits and short study for up to 6 months, permitted paid engagements, landside transit, and the Creative Worker concession of up to 3 months. It does not allow longer stays, work, benefits, or marriage. People with a criminal record or a previous UK refusal may prefer to apply for a visa instead, because an ETA does not guarantee entry.

Apply in the UK ETA app (Google Play or App Store) or online on GOV.UK with the passport you will travel on, an email address and a card or Apple/Google Pay. You photograph the passport and the applicant’s face. You can apply for others, but in the app only when they are with you. Each person, including babies, needs their own ETA, linked electronically to their passport.

Most decisions arrive by email within a day; allow up to 3 working days and do not travel until you have the confirmation with a 16-digit reference number. The ETA lasts 2 years or until the passport expires and allows multiple visits. If you renew your passport you need a new ETA. Unofficial websites charge more; the official fee is £20.

There is no appeal and the fee is not refunded. You can apply for a visit visa instead, which allows your circumstances to be considered in more detail.