UK ETA 2026: £20 Fee, Who Needs One and How to Apply

A UK ETA (electronic travel authorisation) is a digital permission that visitors who do not need a visa must get before travelling to the UK. It costs £20, lasts 2 years or until your passport expires, and lets you make multiple visits of up to 6 months each. Apply through the official UK ETA app or GOV.UK; most decisions arrive within a day.

Key points

• You need an ETA if you can visit without a visa, for example as a citizen of a European country, the USA, Canada or Australia.
• The fee is £20 as of October 2026, the same on the app and online.
• Every traveller needs their own ETA, including babies.
• British and Irish citizens, and people who already have UK permission to live, work or study, do not need one.
• An ETA is not a guarantee of entry. Border Force still decides at the border.

Who needs a UK ETA

According to GOV.UK, you usually need an ETA rather than a visa if you are from Europe, the USA, Australia, Canada or certain other countries and you are coming:

• as a tourist or to visit family and friends
• for business activities allowed for visitors
• for a short course of study (up to 6 months)
• to transit through the UK where you pass through border control

The rules depend on nationality, so use the official check if you need a UK visa tool before you book. If you need a visa instead, see our UK visitor visa guide.

Who does not need an ETA

• British and Irish citizens (travelling on a British or Irish passport)
• People who already have permission to live, work or study in the UK, for example an eVisa or ILR
• Anyone who needs a visa to visit (they apply for a visa instead)

GOV.UK lists some further exemptions on its ETA pages. If you are unsure, check before you travel.

Countries recently moved from ETA to visa-required

Some nationalities that could once use an ETA now need a visa. Statements of Changes to the Immigration Rules added Trinidad and Tobago (March 2025), Botswana (October 2025), Nauru (December 2025), and Nicaragua and St Lucia (March 2026) to the visa list. If you hold one of these passports, you need a Standard Visitor visa, not an ETA.

Cost, validity and stay

Item	Detail (as of October 2026)
Fee	£20 per person
Validity	2 years, or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner
Trips	As many as you like while valid
Length of each stay	Up to 6 months
Places covered	UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man
Decision time	Usually within a day, up to 3 working days
Refunds	None

Sources: GOV.UK ETA guidance, Apply for an ETA, fees table.

The fee has risen since the ETA launched. It is now £20 after the April 2026 fee changes. Check the official page before you pay, as fees usually change in April.

How to apply: step by step

1. Check you need an ETA, not a visa, using the GOV.UK visa checker.
2. Get ready: the passport you will travel on, an email address, and a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
3. Choose how to apply:
   • UK ETA app (Google Play or App Store). It uses your phone camera to scan your passport and face. You can also apply for someone travelling with you.
   • Online on GOV.UK, if you cannot use the app. You need a photo of your passport and a photo of your face that meets the digital photo rules.
4. Answer the questions about your identity, contact details and any criminal history.
5. Pay £20.
6. Wait for the email decision. Do not travel until you have it. If nothing arrives after 3 working days, check your spam folder before contacting UKVI.

Your ETA is linked electronically to your passport. You only need to show that passport when you travel. If you get a new passport, you need a new ETA.

Children, families and groups

Every traveller needs an individual ETA, including babies and children. You can apply for other people, so one parent can apply for the whole family. Each application costs £20.

Transit through the UK

You need an ETA if you pass through UK border control at an airport before continuing your journey, for example if you collect bags and check in again. If you stay airside, rules differ. Check with your airline if you are unsure.

Avoid scam and copycat websites

GOV.UK warns that other websites may charge more and advises you to avoid sites that imitate government services. Only apply through:

• the official UK ETA app, or
• the GOV.UK page at gov.uk/eta/apply

If a site charges more than £20, it is not the official service.

If your ETA is refused

An ETA application cannot be refunded. If it is refused, you cannot travel on an ETA and will need to apply for a visa instead. If your application needs changes, you have to apply again. An approved ETA also does not guarantee entry: Border Force officers still check that you meet the visitor rules on arrival.

ETA vs visitor visa vs eVisa

	ETA	Standard Visitor visa	eVisa
Who	Visa-exempt visitors	Visa nationals	People with UK permission to stay
Cost	£20	From £135 (6 months)	Free to access
Length	2 years, trips up to 6 months	6 months, or long-term 2, 5 or 10 years	Matches your visa
Apply	App or online	Online plus biometrics	Comes with your visa grant

People who already live in the UK on a visa do not need an ETA. They travel using their eVisa linked to their passport. See our eVisa and BRP guide.

What to do next

1. Check your nationality on the GOV.UK visa checker.
2. Apply at least a few days before you travel, using the official app or GOV.UK only.
3. Make sure every family member, including babies, has their own ETA.
4. If you renew your passport, apply for a new ETA.
5. See the UK country hub for visa and travel guides, and /updates/ for changes to the visa list.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Details are as of October 2026.