🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Other and Special Route Visas

Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)

Digital permission to visit the UK for up to 6 months. Most travellers from Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia need one, not a visa.

Book a consultation How the application works

Screening A few questions about your work, your family and your plans.
Documents A checklist built around your route and who is coming with you.
Expert review A qualified adviser reads every document before anything is filed.
Application Every answer is checked against the published rules for your route.
Submission Filed, with everything that went with it kept in one place.
Arrival We stay with you through the crossing and the first steps after.

Updated 23 July 2026

At a glance

Application fee

£20

Per person, babies and children too

Maximum stay per visit

Up to 6 months

Tourism, family, business or short study

ETA validity

2 years

Or when the passport expires, if sooner

Paid work allowed

Except a permitted paid engagement

What is a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)?

An ETA is a digital permission you get before travelling to the UK if your nationality requires one. It is not a visa and it does not guarantee entry. It costs £20. It lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner, and lets you make multiple visits during that time.

Who needs one, and who does not

Whether an ETA is needed depends on nationality and, in some cases, the purpose of travel; the published rules set out which nationalities must hold one before travelling as a Visitor or in other limited circumstances. An ETA is not required by a British or Irish citizen, by anyone who already holds a UK visa or other permission to enter or stay, or by a British overseas territories citizen or British National (Overseas) passport holder, among other published exemptions.

How an ETA works

An application is made online or through the dedicated app, using the passport the applicant will travel with, an email address and a facial photograph, together with the published fee. Once granted, an ETA is linked to that passport, allows multiple visits within its validity period, and covers the route’s published permitted purposes and length of stay; it does not permit work beyond the limited exceptions the published rules allow, or a stay longer than those published limits.

Requirements

NationalityThe applicant must be a national of a country the published rules require to hold an ETA before travelling to the UK.
Valid passportThe application must be made using the passport the applicant will travel with; the ETA is linked to that passport.
Email address and facial photographThe applicant must provide an email address the Home Office can use to make contact, and a facial photograph as part of the application.
Permitted purpose of travelThe applicant must be travelling as a Visitor, in defined Creative Worker circumstances, or making a qualifying local journey from the Republic of Ireland.
SuitabilityAn application must be refused in defined circumstances, including an exclusion or deportation order, certain criminal convictions, and past breaches of UK immigration law.

Documents typically needed

PassportThe passport must be the one used to travel; a photo of it is uploaded as part of the application.
Email addressUsed by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) to send the decision.
Facial photographA photo of the face of the person applying, taken or uploaded during the application.
Payment methodCredit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

How to apply

Check if an ETA is needed

Whether an ETA, a visa, or nothing at all is needed depends on nationality and the purpose of travel.

Apply online or through the app

Apply using the UK ETA app or online, providing the travel passport, an email address, a facial photograph and the fee.

Wait for a decision

A decision is usually sent by email within a day; allow up to 3 working days before contacting UKVI.

Travel using the same passport

An ETA only confers permission to travel when the holder travels on the passport used in the application.

Fees & costs

ETA application (online or app): £20

Fee set by the Home Office and can change; there is no refund after applying, and no faster decision is available through a third-party website or app. Source: GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/eta

Processing times

Decision by email: Usually within a day; allow up to 3 working days (Monday to Friday)

Standard service published by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI); different applicants travelling together may get decisions at different times.

What you can and can't do

Permitted

Come to the UK for tourism, visiting family and friends, a business trip or short-term study, for up to 6 months
Come to the UK on the Creative Worker visa concession, for up to 3 months
Come to the UK for a permitted paid engagement
Transit through a UK airport where the holder will pass through border control

Not permitted

Stay in the UK for longer than 6 months
Do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, other than a permitted paid engagement or the Creative Worker concession
Claim public funds (benefits)
Live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
Marry, register a civil partnership, or give notice of either

If the application is refused

Being refused an ETA is not the same as being refused permission to enter the UK. A person refused an ETA would need to apply for a visa instead if they still wish to travel to the UK.

Common questions

Is an ETA a visa?

No. An ETA is a digital travel permission linked to your passport. It does not guarantee entry to the UK. You still need permission to enter when you arrive.

How much does an ETA cost and how long does it last?

An ETA costs £20 and lasts for 2 years, or until the passport you used expires, whichever is sooner. You can travel to the UK as many times as you want while it is valid.

How long does a decision take?

You’ll usually get a decision by email within a day. Allow up to 3 working days (Monday to Friday) before contacting UKVI.

Who needs an ETA?

Whether you need an ETA depends on your nationality and, in some cases, why you’re travelling. Most visitors need either an ETA or a visa.

Who does not need an ETA?

You do not need an ETA if you’re a British or Irish citizen, you already hold a UK visa or other permission to enter or stay, or you’re travelling on a British overseas territories citizen or British National (Overseas) passport, among other published exemptions.

What happens if an ETA application is refused?

Being refused an ETA is not the same as being refused permission to enter the UK. If you still want to travel, you would need to apply for a visa instead.