Do I need an ETA for entry into the UK? Essential information for travellers

An Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) gives you permission to travel to the UK for short periods. Whether you can apply and whether this is applicable to you will depend on your nationality, immigration status in the UK if any, and the date you are planning to travel.

Who does not need an ETA?

You do not need an ETA if any of these apply to you:

·       You have a visa

·       You have permission to live, work or study in the UK (including holding status under EUSS and the right of abode)

·       You are a British or Irish citizen – or are a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship

·       You are travelling with a British overseas territories citizen passport

·       You legally reside in Ireland or the Channel Islands and you are entering the UK from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man

Who Needs an ETA?

Some countries are already subject to an ETA requirement. Travellers from countries that currently do not require a visa to visit the UK (e.g., the US, Canada, Australia and citizens of the EU) will soon need an ETA for short-term stays. The UK Home Office is implementing the system in stages. Whether you need an ETA will depend on your nationality and your planned travel dates following the guide below:

1st stage – those who need an ETA to travel to the UK now:

·       Bahrain

·       Kuwait

·       Oman

·       Qatar

·       Saudi Arabia

·       United Arab Emirates

2nd stage – those travelling to the UK on or after 8 January 2025:

If you are planning to travel to the UK on or after 8 January 2025, the following nationalities would require an ETA:

·       Antigua and Barbuda

·       Argentina

·       Australia

·       The Bahamas

·       Barbados

·       Belize

·       Botswana

·       Brazil

·       Brunei

·       Canada

·       Chile

·       Costa Rica

·       Grenada

·       Guatemala

·       Guyana

·       Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (including British national overseas)

·       Israel

·       Japan

·       Kiribati

·       Macao Special Administrative Region

·       Malaysia

·       Maldives

·       Marshall Islands

·       Mauritius

·       Mexico

·       Federated States of Micronesia

·       Nauru

·       New Zealand

·       Nicaragua

·       Palau

·       Panama

·       Papua New Guinea

·       Paraguay

·       Peru

·       Samoa

·       Seychelles

·       Singapore

·       Solomon Islands

·       South Korea

·       St Kitts and Nevis

·       St Lucia

·       St Vincent and the Grenadines

·       Taiwan (if you have a passport issued by Taiwan that includes in it the number of the identification card issued by the competent authority in Taiwan)

·       Tonga

·       Trinidad and Tobago

·       Tuvalu

·       United States

·       Uruguay

If you are a national of the listed countries and your travel is planned for on or after 8 January 2025, you can start your application now.

3rd stage – those travelling to the UK on or after 2 April 2025:

For those travelling to the UK on or after 2 April 2025, the below countries will be included into the list of countries which require an ETA:

·       Andorra

·       Austria

·       Belgium

·       Bulgaria

·       Croatia

·       Cyprus

·       Czechia

·       Denmark

·       Estonia

·       Finland

·       France

·       Germany

·       Greece

·       Hungary

·       Iceland

·       Italy

·       Latvia

·       Liechtenstein

·       Lithuania

·       Luxembourg

·       Malta

·       Monaco

·       Netherlands

·       Norway

·       Poland

·       Portugal

·       Romania

·       San Marino

·       Slovakia

·       Slovenia

·       Spain

·       Sweden

·       Switzerland

·       Vatican City

If you are a national of the above countries and are planning to travel to the UK on or after 2 April 2025, you will be able to apply for your ETA from 5 March 2025 onwards.

And what about other nationalities?

If your country is not listed in any of the lists pertaining to the three stages, you cannot get an ETA and therefore you need a visa instead.

What you can do with an ETA:

•        coming to the UK for up to 6 months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business or short-term study
•        coming to the UK for up to 3 months on the Creative Worker visa concession
•       coming to the UK for a permitted paid engagement
•        transiting through the UK – including if you are not going through UK border control

What you cannot do with an ETA:

1.        stay in the UK for longer than 6 months
2.        do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless you are doing a permitted paid engagement or event or work on the Creative Worker visa concession
3.        claim public funds (state benefits)
4.        live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
5.        marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership - you will need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa to do this

How to apply?

Applications for the ETA will be submitted online or through a mobile app. You will need access to the following:

•       Passport details
•      Travel itinerary
•       Contact details

The process is quick and should be done at least a few days before travelling. The Home Office’s service standard is 3 days, although it expects most ETAs to be issued more quickly. It costs £10 to apply. Everyone travelling needs to get an ETA, including babies and children. You can apply for other people. The Home Office fee is not refundable.

What if I have criminal convictions?

The UK’s Immigration Rules specify certain criminal convictions and sentences which prevent entry to the country, even as a visitor. All criminal convictions are disclosable on the ETA application. General grounds for refusal of entry are set out at Part 9 of the Immigration Rules. You should seek legal advice if you:

•        have received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more
•        have received a sentence of less than 12 months in the year preceding the date of your ETA application
•        have received a non-custodial sentence in the year preceding the date of your ETA application

After you apply

You will get an email confirming you have got an ETA. It will be linked to the passport you applied with and will last for 2 years. You can travel to the UK as many times as you want during that time, but remember guidance on disguised residence through successive visits. If you change your passport or personal details, you will need to apply to get a new ETA.

Entering the UK

An ETA does not guarantee entry to the UK. You still need to either see a Border Force officer or use an ePassport gate, if you are eligible to do so.