As of November 2026, visitors from countries that do not need a visa for short UK trips, including the United States, Canada, Australia, most of Europe, Japan and South Korea, must hold a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before they travel. The official fee is £20, and an approved ETA lasts two years or until your passport expires, whichever comes first, covering multiple trips of up to six months each. The UK Home Office states in its ETA factsheet that visitors without an ETA will not be able to board their transport, unless they are exempt. This guide walks through what the ETA is, how to apply on GOV.UK or the app, who is exempt, how airport transit works, and what to do when your passport changes or an application goes wrong.
What is a UK ETA, and how is it different from a visa?
An ETA is a digital permission to travel, not a visa. The Home Office describes it as neither a visa nor a tax, and says it does not permit entry; it authorises you to travel to the UK. You still see a Border Force officer or use the e-gates on arrival, and the GOV.UK overview is explicit that an ETA does not guarantee entry. The same page now notes that one ETA covers travel to the UK, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
According to GOV.UK's page on what you can and cannot do with an ETA, the permission covers stays of up to six months for tourism, visiting family and friends, business trips and short-term study. It also covers permitted paid engagements and the Creative Worker concession for up to three months. It does not let you stay longer than six months, work for a UK company or as self-employed outside those concessions, claim public funds, live in the UK through frequent or back-to-back visits, or marry or register a civil partnership.
If you have a criminal record or have previously been refused entry to the UK, GOV.UK suggests you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead of an ETA.
On cost: both GOV.UK and the South Korean embassy's current notice list the fee as £20. Older articles may quote a different amount, so check the official page on the day you apply. The Home Office says the fee is kept under review.
How to apply for a UK ETA, step by step
There are two official routes: the UK ETA app for iPhone and Android, or the online form on GOV.UK. The Home Office calls the app the easiest option and says most app applicants currently get an automatic decision within minutes. GOV.UK also states that applying through another website or app will not get you a faster decision.
Have these ready:
- the passport you will travel with
- an email address
- a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay
- a photo of the applicant's face (taken in the app or uploaded online)
The process looks like this:
- Passport details: the app scans your passport with your phone camera; online, you upload a photo of the passport.
- Face photo: the app scans your face; online, you upload a photo that meets the UK digital photo rules. GOV.UK warns that a non-compliant photo can delay or sink the application.
- Questions: you give contact and passport details and answer suitability and criminality questions.
- Payment: £20, non-refundable once you apply.
- Decision: usually by email within a day, but it can take up to three working days. The approval email includes a 16-digit ETA reference number.
Do not travel until the approval email arrives. The Home Office recommends applying at least three working days before you travel to allow for cases that need extra review. Weekends and UK bank holidays stretch that window, so the simplest habit is to apply the day you book.
You can apply for other people. Use the app if they are physically with you; otherwise apply online with a photo of their passport and their face. Family members who apply together may receive decisions at different times. If nothing has arrived after three working days, check your spam folder before contacting UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). The GOV.UK overview points ETA questions to webchat and says UKVI cannot help with ETA enquiries by phone.
Who does not need an ETA: transit, families and exemptions
GOV.UK's list of when you do not need an ETA includes British and Irish citizens, people who already hold a UK visa, people with permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status), and travellers transiting airside. Dual citizens who hold British or Irish citizenship cannot get an ETA and should travel on a valid British or Irish passport, or another passport with a certificate of entitlement.
Transit is where most confusion happens, and the test is whether you pass through UK border control:
- Airside transit: you stay inside the airport and connect without passing border control. No ETA needed. The Home Office notes that this currently applies to passengers transiting through Heathrow and Manchester who do not go through passport control.
- Landside transit: you pass through border control before continuing your journey. You need an ETA.
If you are unsure which applies, GOV.UK's advice is to check with your airline. That matters most on self-connecting itineraries booked as separate tickets.
Every traveller needs their own ETA, including babies and children. A parent can apply on a child's behalf, but there is no family-level permission, so budget £20 per person.
Rail and sea count too. The South Korean embassy's notice says carriers will check ETA status before boarding flights, Eurostar trains and ships to the UK, so a Paris-to-London or Brussels-to-London leg needs an ETA sorted before you set off. People lawfully resident in Ireland who travel from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man have their own exemption, but it rarely applies to ordinary tourists.
Validity, passport changes and refusals
Your ETA is linked electronically to the passport you applied with, so you only show that passport at check-in and at the border. The Home Office says you must travel on the same passport used in the application.
Validity runs for two years or until the passport expires, whichever is sooner. If your passport has 14 months left, so does your ETA. If your passport is close to expiry, renew it first and then apply, otherwise you pay twice. Within the validity period you can make as many trips as you like, each up to six months.
Get a new passport, or lose your old one, and the ETA does not transfer: you need to apply again with the new passport. The same applies if you need to correct details in an application, and the original fee is not refunded. Double-check your passport number and name spelling before you submit.
There are two kinds of bad outcome. A rejected application comes with a reason and you can apply again; GOV.UK notes photo problems can cause a rejection, so fix the photo first. A refused application cannot be appealed; if you still want to visit, you need to apply for a visa. Applying early gives you time to react either way.
To confirm whether you already hold an ETA and when it expires, use GOV.UK's Check your ETA service rather than relying on memory.
Pre-departure checklist and copycat websites
The biggest avoidable cost is a copycat or middleman website. GOV.UK warns that other sites may charge more and tells travellers to avoid websites that imitate government services. Make sure the address ends in gov.uk, or use the official UK ETA app linked from the GOV.UK apply page. The Home Office factsheet points scam victims to GOV.UK's route for reporting visa and immigration scams.
Before you fly, run through this list:
- Purpose: tourism, family, business or short study, six months or less, with no paid work outside permitted concessions.
- Passport: check the expiry date; renew first if it is close.
- People: every traveller, children included, has their own approved ETA.
- Route: confirm with your airline whether any UK connection is airside or landside, and include Eurostar or ferry legs.
- Proof: keep the 16-digit reference number and re-check your status with Check your ETA before departure.
Applying takes little more than your phone, your passport and a card. The risk is in timing and in mistakes that force a fresh application, so apply as soon as your UK travel is booked.
