Apply for an ETA to come to the UK if you’re a tourist, visiting family or for certain other reasons for up to 6 months. It costs £20. Find out if you need an ETA or a visa instead.
An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) lets you travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for up to 6 months.
You can get an ETA for tourism, visiting family or for certain other reasons.
An ETA costs £20. Apply for an ETA.
Other websites may charge more to apply. Avoid websites that imitate government services.
An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.
Most visitors need an ETA or a visa. What you need depends on:
You usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you’re from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries.
Check if you need an ETA or visa to come to the UK.
There are some people who do not need an ETA, for example if you have:
Each person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children.
You can apply for other people.
You need an ETA if you’re passing through border control at a UK airport before continuing your onward journey.
You can check with your airline if you are not sure.
You can use webchat to ask about an ETA.
UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) cannot help with ETA enquiries over the phone.
You can check:
You do not need an ETA to travel to the UK if:
If you’re a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship, you cannot get an ETA. When you travel to the UK you can prove your citizenship using:
You may be able to travel to the UK using another type of permission, for example if you settled in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme. Find out more about travelling to the UK as a dual citizen.
You may have British citizenship automatically if you either:
Check if you have British citizenship.
You can use webchat to ask about travelling to the UK as a dual citizen.
You do not need an ETA if you’re both:
If you’re from a country that needs a visa, you’ll need to apply for a visa before travelling to the UK.
Check if you need a UK visa or ETA.
If you’re 16 or older, you’ll need to bring one of the following:
The document must be:
If you’re under 16, you do not need to bring proof you live in Ireland.
Whether you need to apply for an ETA depends on why you’re travelling to the UK.
An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK. If you have a criminal record or you were previously refused entry into the UK, you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead.
You can:
If you’re coming to the UK for another reason, check if you need a visa instead.
You cannot:
It costs £20 to apply online or through the UK ETA app. You cannot get a refund after you apply.
You cannot get a faster decision by applying through another website or app.
You’ll need:
When you apply, you’ll need to upload or take photos of the face of the person applying.
You can apply for someone else’s ETA on the UK ETA app if they’re with you.
If the person you’re applying for is not with you, you must apply for their ETA online.
You’ll need a photo of their passport and a photo of their face.
You’ll need to use your phone’s camera to scan your passport and your face.
Download the UK ETA app on:
If you cannot download the app on your phone, you should apply online.
You’ll need:
You must follow the rules for digital photos of faces.
If the photo of the face of the person applying does not meet the rules, the application may be delayed or rejected.
You’ll usually get a decision by email within a day, but it can take up to 3 working days.
The email will contain your 16 digit ETA reference number.
You must wait until you get an email confirming you have an ETA before you travel to the UK.
If you have not received a decision after 3 working days, check your spam or junk email folder before contacting UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
You may get decisions at different times to other people you applied for.
Your ETA will be linked to the passport you applied with. You only need to show your passport when you travel to the UK.
You cannot get a refund after you apply. If your application is rejected or you need to change the details in your application, you’ll need to apply again.
An ETA lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. You can travel to the UK as many times as you want while you have an ETA.
You can check:
You can: