Get an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK
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1. Overview
An electronic travel authorisation (ETA) lets you travel to the UK for tourism, visiting family or certain other reasons for up to 6 months.
An ETA costs £16.
Other websites may charge more to apply. Avoid websites that imitate government services.
An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK.
Who needs an ETA
Most visitors travelling to the UK need an ETA or a visa. What you need depends on:
- your nationality
- why ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð coming to the UK
You usually need an ETA rather than a visa if ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries.
Check if you need an ETA or visa to come to the UK.
»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýappre are some people who do not need an ETA, for example if you have:
- a British or Irish passport
- permission to live, work or study in the UK
If ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð travelling as a family or group
Each person travelling needs an ETA, including babies and children.
You can apply for other people.
2. When you do not need an ETA
You do not need an ETA to travel to the UK if:
- ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð a British or Irish citizen
- you have a UK visa
- you have permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status or right of abode)
- ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð transiting through a UK airport and you will not pass through border control - check with your airline if you are not sure
- ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð travelling with a British overseas territories citizen passport
- ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð travelling with a British National (Overseas) passport
- you live in Ireland and ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
- ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð a child travelling on the France-UK school trip travel information form
- ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð exempt from immigration control or do not need to get permission to enter
Dual citizens
If ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship, you cannot get an ETA. When you travel to the UK you’ll need to prove your citizenship using:
- a valid British passport
- a valid Irish passport
- another valid passport containing a certificate of entitlement
If you live in Ireland
You do not need an ETA if ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð both:
- from a country that would normally need an ETA to travel to the UK
- entering the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
If ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð 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.
What documents you’ll need to bring
If ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð 16 or older, you’ll need to bring one of the following:
- Irish driving licence
- Irish learner permit
- medical card
- GP visit card
- European Health Insurance Card
- Irish Residence Permit
- Permanent Residence Certificate
- National Age Card
- diplomatic identity card
»Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp document must be:
- an original
- issued by the Irish government
- valid at the time you travel
If ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð under 16, you do not need to bring proof you live in Ireland.
3. What you can and cannot do with an ETA
Whether you need to apply for an ETA depends on why ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð 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.
What you can do with an ETA
You can:
- come to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, on a business trip or for short-term study
- come to the UK for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession
- come to the UK for a permitted paid engagement
- transit through a UK airport if you’ll pass through border control - check with your airline if you are not sure
If ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð coming to the UK for another reason, check if you need a visa instead.
What you cannot do with an ETA
You cannot:
- stay in the UK for longer than 6 months
- do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð doing a permitted paid engagement or event or work on the Creative Worker visa concession
- claim public funds (benefits)
- live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
- marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership - you need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa
4. Apply for an ETA
It costs £16 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:
- the passport you’ll travel with
- an email address
- a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay
When you apply, you’ll need to upload or take photos of the face of the person applying.
Applying for someone else
You can apply for someone else’s ETA on the UK ETA app if they’re with you.
If the person ²â´Ç³Ü’r±ð 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.
Apply on the UK ETA app
You’ll need to use your phone’s camera to scan your passport and your face.
Download the UK ETA app on:
- the
If you cannot download the app on your phone, you should apply online.
Apply online
You’ll need a photo of:
- the passport
- the face of the person applying
After you apply
You’ll get a decision by email from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), usually within a day. »Ê¹ÚÌåÓýapp email will contain your 16 digit ETA reference number.
Contact UKVI if you haven’t had a decision after 3 working days.
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.
How long it lasts
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.
Get help
You can:
- read the guide to using the UK ETA app
- watch the
- watch the