UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) 2026: Complete Guide

The UK ETA is a digital pre-travel permission for nationals of 84 visa-exempt countries entering the UK for short stays (up to 6 months), transit, business meetings, study courses under 6 months, or other non-visa activities. It is electronically linked to the holder's passport — no physical document is issued. The ETA costs £20 from 8 April 2026, lasts up to 2 years (or until the passport expires), and permits multiple entries each up to 6 months. It is governed by Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation of the Immigration Rules and the Authority to Carry Scheme 2023.

The UK ETA fee in 2026 is £20 per person, raised from £16 on 8 April 2026. The fee is non-refundable — payable in full whether the ETA is approved or refused. Each traveller, including children and infants, needs their own ETA with separate £20 payment — no family discount, no group application. The fee is paid by credit or debit card at the end of the online application via the UK ETA app or gov.uk portal. There is no priority service or expedited processing; the fee is the same whether the ETA decision arrives in minutes or 3 working days.

Nationals of 84 visa-exempt countries need a UK ETA in 2026 — including the United States (largest single nationality at 23.7% of all ETAs), all EU / EEA / Swiss nationals (since 2 April 2025), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Brunei, the Gulf states (Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain), Israel, and several Latin American and Caribbean countries. The complete list of 84 nationalities is on gov.uk. Visa-required nationals (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, Nigeria, and others) are not eligible for ETA and continue to need a Standard Visitor visa.

You do NOT need a UK ETA if you are: (1) a British or Irish citizen (Irish citizens exempt under the Common Travel Area); (2) a British / Irish dual national travelling on your British or Irish passport; (3) the holder of a valid UK visa, BRP, or eVisa (Standard Visitor, Skilled Worker, Student, family route, ILR); (4) the holder of EU Settlement Scheme Settled or Pre-Settled Status; (5) an airside transit passenger at Heathrow or Manchester not passing through UK border control; or (6) a visa-required national (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, China, Nigeria, Egypt, and others) — these nationalities need a Standard Visitor visa, not an ETA.

Apply for a UK ETA through the official UK ETA mobile app (iOS and Android, free download) or the gov.uk online portal. The application requires: a valid biometric passport from an eligible country; a digital photograph taken via the app or uploaded; basic personal details (name, date of birth, nationality, address); answers to suitability and criminality questions; and the £20 application fee paid by credit / debit card. The mobile app is the recommended route — it scans the passport biometric chip directly and captures the photo to ICAO standards. Each traveller needs their own ETA, including children and infants. Decision usually arrives within 3 working days.

UK ETA applications are typically decided within 3 working days, often much faster — many applications are approved within minutes of submission. Most applicants receive the decision by email within 24 hours. Some applications take longer where security or background checks are triggered, typically up to 14 days in unusual cases. There is no priority service or expedited processing for ETAs. The Home Office recommends applying at least 3 working days before travel — but realistically, apply at least 1-2 weeks before travel to allow for any processing delays. Do not rely on last-minute applications.

The UK ETA is valid for 2 years from the date of issue, OR until the passport expires — whichever comes first. Within the validity period, the ETA permits multiple entries to the UK, each visit lasting up to 6 months. If your passport is renewed during the ETA validity period, you must apply for a new ETA — the ETA does not transfer to the new passport because it is electronically linked to the specific passport number. There is no extension or renewal — a fresh application is required after expiry. The ETA permits the same activities as a Standard Visitor visa.

From 25 February 2026, strict enforcement of the UK ETA scheme is fully in effect. Commercial carriers (airlines, ferries, Eurostar, other train operators) operating to the UK from ETA-required countries cannot board passengers who do not hold a valid ETA. Pre-25 February 2026, some carrier flexibility existed for transitional cases — that flexibility ended. ETA-required passengers without a valid ETA at the point of departure are refused boarding by the carrier — not at the UK border. Apply for your ETA well before booking travel; do not rely on last-minute application acceptance.

The UK ETA and the Standard Visitor visa cover the same activities (tourism, business meetings, family visits, short study courses, transit) but apply to different nationalities. ETA: for nationals of 84 visa-exempt countries (US, EU / EEA / Swiss, Canada, Australia, Japan, Gulf states, etc.) — quick digital authorisation at £20 with 2-year validity. Standard Visitor visa: for visa-required nationals (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Nigeria, etc.) — fuller application process at £135 for 6 months with 2-, 5-, and 10-year long-term options. You cannot choose between them — nationality determines which applies.

Since launch in October 2023 through September 2025, the UK ETA scheme has processed 19,719,718 applications with a 99.6% overall approval rate. The United States is the largest single nationality at 4.67 million ETAs (23.7%), followed by Germany (10.0%), France (7.2%), Italy (5.7%), Spain (4.8%), Netherlands (4.3%), Canada (4.0%), Australia (3.2%), Poland (3.1%), and Saudi Arabia (2.5%). The top 10 countries account for 78.5% of all applications. European nationals collectively represent over 52% of all ETAs, driven by the April 2025 EU rollout.

The most common UK ETA application errors are: (1) passport expiring within ETA validity — the ETA only lasts until passport expiry; renew first; (2) name format mismatch between the passport chip and manual entry — typos invalidate the ETA; (3) poor digital photograph failing ICAO standards (shadow, blur, glasses, headwear); (4) incorrect nationality declaration for dual nationals; (5) undisclosed criminal convictions — the application explicitly asks; non-disclosure can trigger a 10-year deception ban; (6) applying when you need a Standard Visitor visa instead (visa-required nationals); (7) last-minute applications close to travel.