UK ETA

A UK Electronic Travel Authorisation, or UK ETA, is an advance permission to travel to the United Kingdom. It is required by specified non-visa nationals who wish to travel to the UK as visitors, transit passengers passing through UK border control, or Creative Workers seeking entry under the Creative Worker visa concession.

A UK ETA is not a visa. It is also not permission to enter the UK. Instead, it gives the holder permission to travel to the UK and seek permission to enter on arrival. Border officers may still examine the traveller at the UK border and may refuse entry if the requirements of the relevant route are not met.

The ETA scheme forms part of the UK’s move towards a more digital border. In practical terms, many travellers who previously travelled to the UK without applying for advance permission must now obtain an ETA before travelling.

Each traveller must have their own ETA, including children and babies. A family cannot travel on one shared ETA, and a parent or other adult should ensure that a separate application is made for every person travelling.

An ETA is normally relevant to short stays. It does not create a route to settlement, indefinite leave to remain or British citizenship. Travellers who wish to work, study long-term, join family, live in the UK or undertake activities outside the visitor rules will usually need to consider an appropriate UK visa route instead.

1. Who Needs a UK ETA?

A UK ETA is required by nationals listed in Appendix ETA National List who wish to travel to the UK for a purpose covered by Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation.

In broad terms, the ETA requirement applies to non-visa nationals. These are travellers who do not normally need to apply for a UK visit visa before travelling for a short visit, but who are now required to obtain digital permission to travel before they board.

You may need a UK ETA if you are travelling to the UK:

• as a visitor for up to six months;
• to visit family or friends;
• for tourism or a holiday;
• for permitted business visitor activities;
• for short-term study as a visitor;
• for a permitted paid engagement;
• under the Creative Worker visa concession for up to three months;
• to transit through the UK, if you will pass through UK border control.

The ETA requirement is nationality-based. It is not enough to assume that because you have previously travelled to the UK without a visa, you may still do so without advance permission. The relevant nationality list should be checked before travel, particularly where a traveller holds more than one nationality or passport.

A person who is a national of a visa national country will not qualify for an ETA merely because they wish to visit for a short period. Visa nationals will normally need to apply for the appropriate UK visa before travelling.

2. Who Does Not Need a UK ETA?

Not every traveller needs a UK ETA. You do not need an ETA if you are a British citizen or an Irish citizen. Dual British or Irish citizens should travel using evidence of their British or Irish citizenship rather than trying to obtain an ETA.

You also do not need a UK ETA if you already have permission to live, work or study in the UK. This includes people with a UK visa, indefinite leave to remain, settled status, pre-settled status or right of abode.

A UK ETA is also not required if you have permission to live, work or study in Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.

The ETA requirement does not apply to a person travelling with a British overseas territories citizen passport or a British National (Overseas) passport.

Airside transit passengers are currently exempt from the ETA requirement if they transit through a UK airport without passing through UK border control. This exemption is temporary and is kept under review. Travellers who are unsure whether their journey involves airside or landside transit should check with their airline before travelling.

A non-visa national who is lawfully resident in Ireland and is travelling to the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man may also be exempt from the ETA requirement. This exemption is considered in more detail below.

There are also limited exemptions for certain school group travel, including children travelling on specified France-UK or Germany-UK school trip arrangements, and for people who are exempt from immigration control or who do not need permission to enter the UK.

3. What Can You Do With a UK ETA?

A UK ETA allows an eligible traveller to travel to the UK and seek permission to enter for a permitted short-stay purpose.

With a UK ETA, you may be able to come to the UK for up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, permitted business activities or short-term study as a visitor. You may also be able to come to the UK for a permitted paid engagement, or for up to three months under the Creative Worker visa concession.

A UK ETA does not expand the activities permitted under the visitor rules. A traveller must still meet the requirements of the relevant visitor or Creative Worker provision on arrival.

For example, business visitors may attend meetings, conferences and seminars, negotiate and sign contracts, attend trade fairs for promotional purposes, undertake certain training and carry out other permitted business visitor activities. However, they must not use a visit to undertake work that is not permitted under the visitor rules.

A permitted paid engagement may be available where a person has been invited to the UK for a specific paid engagement or event, such as certain engagements by professional artists, entertainers, musicians, sportspersons, qualified lawyers, lecturers, academics or air pilot examiners. The engagement must meet the visitor rules and should normally have been arranged before travel.

A UK ETA cannot be used to:

• stay in the UK for longer than permitted;
• work in the UK unless the activity is specifically permitted;
• claim public funds;
• live in the UK through frequent or successive visits;
• marry, register a civil partnership or give notice of marriage or civil partnership, unless the appropriate route is used;
• study long-term;
• switch into most UK immigration routes from within the UK.

Where the planned activity is outside the visitor rules, a visa application should be considered before travel.

4. When Should You Apply for a UK ETA?

A traveller who needs a UK ETA must obtain it before travelling to the UK. The application should not be left until arrival at the airport, port or international rail terminal.

The Home Office indicates that many applicants receive a decision quickly, but some applications may take up to three working days. Additional checks may take longer in some cases. Travellers should therefore apply before making final travel plans where possible, and should not assume that an ETA will be granted immediately.

A traveller must wait until they receive confirmation that the ETA has been granted before travelling. An application receipt is not the same as a grant.

Carriers may refuse boarding where a traveller is required to have an ETA but does not have one. This can affect flights, ferries, international rail services and journeys through juxtaposed controls.

Travellers with previous immigration difficulties, criminal convictions, refusals or adverse Home Office history should consider whether an ETA application is appropriate, or whether a Standard Visitor visa or another visa application would allow the relevant issues to be addressed more fully before travel.

5. How to Apply for a UK ETA

A UK ETA application is made online or through the UK ETA app. The applicant must use the passport with which they intend to travel.

The application process normally requires:

• the passport the applicant will use for travel;
• an email address;
• payment of the application fee;
• a facial image;
• answers to identity and suitability questions.

The ETA application fee is £20 as at 19 August 2026. The fee is not normally refundable after an application is submitted.

An applicant can apply for someone else. If applying through the UK ETA app, the person may need to be with the applicant so that the app can scan the passport and facial image. If the person is not present, the online application route may be more appropriate.

The ETA will be linked to the passport used in the application. If a traveller obtains a new passport, the existing ETA will not transfer to the new passport. A new ETA application will normally be required.

Applicants should take care when completing the application. Once submitted, an ETA application cannot normally be withdrawn, varied or amended through the automated process. Errors can lead to delay, rejection or refusal, depending on the nature of the issue.

Travellers should also avoid unofficial websites or agents that imply they can secure a faster decision. A faster decision cannot be obtained by applying through a third-party website or app.

6. How Long Is a UK ETA Valid For?

A UK ETA is valid for two years from the date of grant, or until the passport used in the ETA application expires, whichever is sooner.

During the period of validity, the holder may make multiple journeys to the UK. Each visit must still be for a permitted purpose and within the period allowed under the relevant route.

For most visitors, this means seeking permission to enter for up to six months on each occasion. Creative Workers relying on the Creative Worker visa concession may seek entry for up to three months, provided the relevant requirements are met.

An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK. A border officer may still ask questions about the purpose of the visit, intended activities, funds, accommodation, return travel and immigration history. If the officer is not satisfied that the requirements are met, entry may be refused.

Travellers should therefore keep evidence of the purpose of travel and practical arrangements available, particularly where the visit involves business activity, a permitted paid engagement, a longer stay, previous immigration history or repeated visits to the UK.

7. UK ETA Suitability Requirements and Refusal Grounds

The ETA suitability requirements are important. An ETA application must be refused if the relevant refusal grounds apply. Decision-makers are not expected to apply a broad discretion to overlook a mandatory ETA refusal ground.

An ETA application must be refused where the applicant is subject to certain exclusion or deportation grounds. This includes cases where the Secretary of State has personally directed that the applicant be excluded from the UK, the applicant is subject to an exclusion order, or the applicant is subject to a deportation order or a decision to make a deportation order.

Criminality is also a central refusal ground. An ETA application must be refused where the applicant has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas and has received a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more. An application must also be refused where the applicant has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas unless more than 12 months have passed since the date of conviction.

The inclusion of suspended sentences is important. Applicants should not assume that a suspended sentence is irrelevant because it did not result in immediate imprisonment.

An ETA application must also be refused where the applicant’s presence in the UK is not conducive to the public good because of their conduct, character, associations or other reasons, including convictions which do not fall within the specific criminality grounds.

Previous immigration breaches can also lead to refusal. The ETA rules include grounds relating to overstaying, breach of conditions, illegal entry and deception in an immigration application, subject to limited exceptions.

False representations, false documents, false information and non-disclosure of relevant facts can lead to refusal. This applies whether the issue arises in the current ETA application or a previous ETA application, and whether or not the information was relevant to the application.

An ETA application may also be refused where the applicant has failed to pay litigation costs awarded to the Home Office, where a previous ETA was cancelled on particular validity grounds, or where the applicant has previously been refused entry clearance, permission to enter or permission to stay under Appendix V: Visitor, unless the rules provide an exception.

The practical consequence is that an ETA application is not always the best option for a traveller with adverse history. Where there has been a previous refusal, cancellation, criminal conviction, immigration breach or complex travel purpose, a visa application may provide a better opportunity to submit evidence and legal representations.

8. What If Your UK ETA Application Is Refused?

If a UK ETA application is refused, the applicant cannot rely on the ETA scheme to travel to the UK. They should consider the reason for refusal carefully before making any further application.

There is no general right of appeal or administrative review against a decision made on an ETA application. This means that in most cases the practical options will be to make a fresh ETA application, if the issue can be corrected and no mandatory refusal ground applies, or to apply for an appropriate visa.

A fresh ETA application may be appropriate where the issue was a correctable mistake, an identity problem or a failure to provide information properly. It will not assist where the same mandatory refusal ground remains in place.

In many refusal cases, a Standard Visitor visa application will be more appropriate. A visa application allows the applicant to provide supporting documents, address the refusal reason and explain why they meet the visitor requirements. However, the previous ETA refusal must be disclosed where required and should be addressed directly.

A refused ETA application may also indicate that the intended activity is not suitable for travel as a visitor. Where the traveller intends to work, study long-term, join family, perform activities outside the visitor rules or remain in the UK for a longer period, a different visa route may be required.

Professional advice can be particularly important where the refusal relates to criminality, deception, previous immigration breaches, visitor refusal history or non-conducive grounds. These issues can have consequences beyond the immediate ETA application.

9. What Happens if Your UK ETA Is Cancelled?

A UK ETA can be cancelled after it has been granted. Cancellation may occur before travel, at the border or where the Home Office later identifies information that affects the holder’s eligibility.

An ETA must be cancelled where certain exclusion, deportation, criminality or non-conducive grounds apply. It must also be cancelled where the holder has made false representations, submitted false documents or false information, or failed to disclose relevant facts in relation to an ETA application.

Criminality cancellation grounds include cases where the ETA holder has been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK or overseas and has received a custodial or suspended sentence of 12 months or more, or has been convicted of a criminal offence unless more than 12 months have passed since the date of conviction.

An ETA may also be cancelled where the holder has breached immigration laws, failed to pay relevant NHS charges of at least £500, failed to pay litigation costs awarded to the Home Office, or where the validity requirements were not met at the time of application or subsequently.

If an ETA is cancelled, the traveller should not assume that they can simply apply again and travel. The reason for cancellation will determine whether a new ETA application is possible, whether a visa application is required, or whether there is a more serious immigration issue to address.

A cancellation may also affect future visa applications. The applicant should be ready to disclose the cancellation where required and provide a clear explanation supported by evidence.

10. UK ETA and Travel From Ireland or the Common Travel Area

The Common Travel Area consists of the UK, Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. ETA issues can arise where a non-visa national travels to the UK from within the Common Travel Area, especially from Ireland.

A person who is lawfully resident in Ireland and is travelling to the UK from elsewhere in the Common Travel Area does not need to obtain an ETA. This exemption is limited. It does not apply simply because a traveller is physically in Ireland. The person must be lawfully resident in Ireland and must be travelling to the UK from Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.

If the traveller is aged 16 or over and relies on the Irish resident exemption, they may be required to provide evidence that they are lawfully resident in Ireland. Examples of documents that may be relevant include an Irish driving licence, Irish learner permit, Irish Residence Permit, medical card, GP visit card, European Health Insurance Card, Permanent Residence Certificate, National Age Card or diplomatic identity card. The document should be original, valid and issued by the Irish government.

Children under 16 do not normally need to bring proof that they live in Ireland, although questions may still arise in appropriate cases.

A non-visa national who is lawfully resident in Ireland but travels to the UK from outside the Common Travel Area will normally need an ETA if their nationality is subject to the ETA requirement.

Irish citizens do not need an ETA. British citizens do not need an ETA. The position of third-country nationals travelling through Ireland should be considered carefully, particularly where they are not lawfully resident in Ireland or where they are travelling from outside the Common Travel Area.

11. UK ETA and EU ETIAS: Key Differences

The UK ETA and EU ETIAS are separate systems. A UK ETA is part of the United Kingdom’s immigration system. ETIAS is the European Travel Information and Authorisation System for visa-exempt travellers to participating European countries.

A UK ETA does not permit travel to the Schengen Area. ETIAS will not permit travel to the United Kingdom.

As at 19 August 2026, the UK ETA scheme is in force. ETIAS is expected to start operating in the last quarter of 2026. Travellers should check the official EU position before travel, as the start date and operational arrangements may be updated.

The UK ETA currently costs £20. The ETIAS fee has also been set at EUR 20, although some travellers will be exempt from paying the ETIAS fee.

The validity periods also differ. A UK ETA is valid for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner. ETIAS is expected to be valid for up to three years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner.

Travellers planning a journey that includes both the UK and Schengen Area countries may need both a UK ETA and an ETIAS travel authorisation, depending on nationality, immigration status and route of travel.

12. Frequently Asked Questions: Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)