UK Visas & Immigration has announced that eligible non-European nationals will be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit the United Kingdom from Wednesday, 8 January 2025.
The new requirement, disclosed via a tweet on Monday, applies to travellers who wish to visit or transit the UK without a visa.
The United Kingdom Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) is an advance travel permission required from foreign nationals who intend to visit or transit the United Kingdom without a visa.
Who can apply
Whether you can apply depends on the date you travel and your nationality as shown on your passport
Check if you can apply for an ETA.
Who does not need an ETA?
You do not need an ETA if any of these apply to you:
- You have a visa?
- Do you have permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status or right of abode)?
- If you are a British or Irish citizen?
- Do you travel with a British Overseas Territories citizen passport?
- you live in Ireland, and you are travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
- Dual citizens: If you are a dual citizen with British or Irish citizenship, you do not need an ETA. Prove your permission to travel using your British passport, Irish passport or other passport containing a certificate of entitlement.
What you can do with an ETA
You can get an ETA instead of a visa if you are:
- 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
- If you are coming to the UK for another reason, check if you need a visa instead.
What you cannot do with an ETA
You cannot: stay in the UK for longer than 6 months, 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, claim public funds (benefits), live in the UK through frequent or successive visits, marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership; you will need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa
How much it costs
It costs £10 to apply. Everyone travelling needs to get an ETA, including babies and children. You can apply for other people.
You cannot get a refund after you apply.
Before you start
You need:
- the passport you will travel with – not a photocopy or digital passport
- access to your emails
- a credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay
- You will need to upload or take photos of the: passport, face of the person applying and you do not need to enter your travel details.
