On January 8th, 2025, the United Kingdom enacted a new policy requiring travelers from the United States, Canada and Mexico to have an Electronic Travel Authorization or ETA.
The UK is made up of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you are entering the UK though any of these countries you will need an ETA.
The rules have been adjusted since the program first rolled out; you can now skip having an Electronic Travel Authorization if you are just connecting to another flight at a British Airport and will not need to leave the airport for any reason. But if you pass through security or step outside of the airport for any reason, you will need an ETA.
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What is an Electronic Travel Authorization?
The UK Electronic Travel Authorization is a type of Visa waiver that acts as a pre-clearance for travel. The UK Home Office ETA fact sheet says, “An ETA is a digital permission to travel – it is not a visa or a tax and does not permit entry into the UK – it authorises a person to travel to the UK.”
How Long is the ETA Good For?
Your approved ETA will last for two years and multiple entries, however you can only stay for up to 6 months at a time and your stay must be for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study.
Your ETA will be digitally linked to your passport so if you get a new passport during those two years you must apply for a new authorization.
If your passport expires before the two years is up, the ETA will expire with your passport and does not transfer to a new passport.
How do I apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization?
The easiest way to apply for the ETA is through the UK ETA app. Approval can be obtained in as little as 10 minutes but can take up to three working days.
If you would rather apply online you can start here. It may take a few days to receive approval via the online process.
Regardless of which method you use to apply, if your application requires further review, it will take longer.
The cost is £16 to apply for the authorization.
You will need to upload a photo of your passport, scan and photograph yourself as you apply, upload the photo, and answer various questions about your plans. Applying online takes around 20 minutes and you must complete the process in one attempt. You cannot save your progress in the application.
Everyone entering the UK needs their own ETA, including children and babies. But you can apply on somebody else’s behalf.
Make sure you are accessing the application from the official Gov.uk website.
You will find third party websites that charge additional fees for the ETA application in your search results – they pay advertising fees to be listed ahead of the official government site and look legitimate. This application is 20 bucks and takes 20 minutes, there is no need to use any third party assistance.
Is the ETA the Same Thing as Europe’s ETIAS?
No, the UK Electronic Travel Authorization and the European Union’s planned ETIAS ate two different programs. The EU’s ETIAS rollout has been pushed back several times and is now expected to go into effect in 2026.
A Few More Words of Advice
If you are seriously considering traveling to the UK, apply for the Electronic Travel Authorization before you book anything. The ETA is good for two years so there is no harm in getting it done early. And if you are denied for any reason you will have time to go through the full Visa process.
We also recommend getting an ETA even if you are just laying over in a UK airport. If something goes wrong with a flight and you have a long delay, you won’t be able to leave the airport without an ETA.
Heading to the UK? Check out our list of the Top 10 Things To Do When Visiting London for the First Time.
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