What the ETA is
The ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) is the electronic permission the UK requires from travellers who do not need a visa. You apply online before you travel, and it covers trips to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man for stays of up to six months.
It works much like the US ESTA, and it is not a visa. It authorises you to travel without guaranteeing entry: the Border Force officer at arrival still decides. The difference between a visa, an e-Visa and an electronic authorisation is explained in this guide.
Since 25 February 2026 it has been mandatory for every visa-exempt national, with the phased rollout now complete. Without one, the airline will not let you board.
Who needs one
Citizens of countries that can visit the UK without a visa need one: European Union nationals, Americans, Canadians and Australians, among others.
In Latin America, according to our pages, Mexican, Guatemalan, Costa Rican, Panamanian, Peruvian, Paraguayan, Uruguayan, Argentine, Chilean, Brazilian, Belizean and Guyanese passports travel with an ETA. Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Haiti, among others, need a Standard Visitor visa, which costs £135 for stays of up to six months and is applied for separately. The answer for your passport is on its page: for example Mexico, Argentina or Colombia.
British and Irish citizens do not need one, and neither does anyone who already has permission to live, work or study in the UK. Legal residents of Ireland whose nationality does not usually need a visa for the UK (Europeans or Americans, for example) are also exempt when travelling within the Common Travel Area.
What it costs and how long it lasts
It costs £20 per person, and every traveller needs their own, babies and children included. It is not refunded if the application is refused.
Once granted, it lets you travel to the UK as many times as you like for two years, or until your passport expires if that comes first, with stays of up to six months each time.
How to apply
You apply in the official UK ETA app, for Android and iPhone, or on GOV.UK (gov.uk/eta). You need the passport you will travel with, a photo of your face, an email address, and a credit or debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Most applications made in the app get an automatic decision within minutes. The official guidance says the answer usually arrives by email within a day and can take up to three working days, so do not leave it until the day before.
Always use the official app or the GOV.UK page. Third-party websites process the ETA and charge more than £20.
Layovers at UK airports
If you change planes in the UK and go through border control (to collect your bag or change airports, for example), you need an ETA just as if you were staying.
If you connect without going through border control, staying airside, you do not currently need one at Heathrow or Manchester. This is a temporary exemption that the UK government keeps under review, so check it before you travel. More about layovers in our airport transit guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does the ETA let me work in the UK? No. It is for visits: tourism, seeing family or friends, and business activities that do not amount to working there.
I am an EU citizen. Does this apply to me? Yes. EU citizens need an ETA to visit the UK.
Can I go to Ireland with the UK ETA? No. The ETA covers the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Ireland has its own entry rules and is not part of Schengen either. More in our guide to Schengen countries.
What if my ETA is refused? You need to apply for a visitor visa to travel. The ETA fee is not refunded.
Guide verified on 20/10/2026. Sources: GOV.UK, “Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK” (£20 fee, stays of up to six months in the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, one ETA per traveller including babies and children, who does not need one, transit through border control), “When you do not need an ETA” and “Apply for an ETA” (what you need, and the decision time: usually a day and up to three working days); Home Office, “Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) factsheet”, April 2026 (validity of two years or until the passport expires, automatic decision within minutes in the app, temporary exemption for airside transit at Heathrow and Manchester, residents of Ireland, no boarding without an ETA); GOV.UK, Standard Visitor visa fees (checked 27/09/2026). The requirement in force since 25/02/2026 and the classification of each passport come from our United Kingdom pages, verified in August and September 2026.