Will I need Electronic Travel Authorisation to enter the UK?

The Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme was first announced in the March 2023 Statement of Changes to the immigration rules HC 1160. This post explains what the scheme is, who needs an electronic travel authorisation, and how to apply.

The relevant immigration rules are found in Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation and Appendix ETA National List. There is also Home Office guidance.

What is the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme?

Visitors who do not currently need a visa to visit the UK, and who do not already have an immigration status prior to travelling, are now required to obtain an electronic travel authorisation to travel to the UK for short stays, including for tourism and transiting.

For those familiar with travel to the United States, it is broadly equivalent to their Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA): a fairly simple application made before travel in order to notify the government of your details and enable them to conduct security checks on you before you arrive.

An electronic travel authorisation is not a visa, it is a ‘digital permission to travel’. Obtaining electronic travel authorisation allows you to travel to the UK but does not guarantee entry; entry can still be refused by UK border officials.

Electronic travel authorisation is required where the person travelling to the UK intends to do one or more of the following:

• Enter and stay in the UK for up to six months as a tourist, including as a business visitor or for studying
• Enter and stay in the UK for up to three months on the Creative Worker visa concession
• Come to the UK for a permitted paid engagement
• Transit through the UK if passing through UK border control

There is a temporary exemption from needing an electronic travel authorisation for passengers who transit airside and therefore do not pass through UK border control. This exemption is being kept under review.

In most cases electronic travel authorisation should be obtained prior to travelling. However, for those travelling at short notice the guidance helpfully confirms you can travel to the UK while waiting for a decision.

Who is the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme for?

From 2 April 2025, the scheme applies to non-visa national visitors to the UK including EU, EEA and Swiss nationals. Appendix ETA Visa National List confirms which nationalities are required to obtain an electronic travel authorisation prior to travelling to the UK.

The application process was introduced in stages. It first opened in October 2023 for Qatari nationals, and was rolled out further in February 2024 to include nationals of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Jordan was subsequently removed from Appendix Electronic Travel Authorisation and added to Appendix Visitor: Visa national list, meaning that Jordanian nationals need to apply for a visa prior to travelling to the UK.

From 8 January 2025, nationals of 48 non-European countries listed in paragraph ETANL 1.1.(c) of Appendix ETA National List were also included. ILPA raised concerns about the timing of this phase of expansion as it coincided with the Home Office’s move to digital immigration status, from biometric residence permits to eVisas.

The last phase opened for applications on 5 March 2025 for European nationals planning to travel to the UK on or after 2 April 2025.

Everyone travelling is required to get an electronic travel authorisation, including babies and children.

Who does not need an electronic travel authorisation?

The guidance confirms that you will not need an electronic travel authorisation if you are a British citizen, travelling with a British Overseas Territory Citizen passport, travelling with a British National (Overseas) passport, or an Irish citizen (except where permission to come to the UK is required because the person is subject to a deportation order, exclusion order decision, or an international travel ban).

You will also not require an electronic travel authorisation if you already have permission to live, work or study in the UK, hold a valid visit visa, or are exempt from immigration control.

For a long time there was a fear that residents of Ireland that do not need a visa to be there would need to apply for an electronic travel authorisation. Thankfully, they do not. This is a really significant development that protects the Common Travel Area and the rights of non-visa nationals, particularly in the border communities in Ireland.

You will also not need an electronic travel authorisation if you are legally resident in and entering the UK from Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man.

How do I make an application for an electronic travel authorisation?

Applications can be made using the UK ETA app, or online. The link to the application form, and instructions to download the app are available here.

When applying via the app, users are asked to place their phones on the front covers of their passports to scan the passport. Holders of United States passports may need to place the phone on the inside of the back cover if scanning the front of the passport does not work.

It currently costs £10 per person to make the application via the UK ETA app or online through gov.uk. From 9 April 2025 it will cost £16. Other websites may charge more but cannot provide a faster decision.

Getting a decision

A decision should be made within three working days of submitting your application.

Your electronic travel authorisation will be issued electronically and you will receive an email to confirm that your application has been approved.

Your electronic travel authorisation should be linked to your passport. You must therefore use the same passport to travel to the UK.

The electronic travel authorisation is valid for a period of two years or until the expiry of your passport, whichever is sooner. While it remains valid, the visitor can enter the UK multiple times; they do not have to apply for a new electronic travel authorisation for each visit. However, if they apply for a new passport they will need to apply for a new electronic travel authorisation to be linked to that passport.

What if my electronic travel authorisation application is refused?

There is no right of appeal or administrative review if an application for electronic travel authorisation is refused. When refusing an application, the Home Office will specify the reason for refusal. Depending on the reasons for refusal, you will either need to apply again or apply for a visa to enter the UK, such as a standard visitor or transit visa.

If you applied for an electronic travel authorisation under the Creative Worker visa concession, you will need to make an application for a Temporary Work – Creative Worker visa instead.

Why do we need electronic travel authorisation?

The introduction of the electronic travel authorisation scheme is part of the Home Office’s broader digitalisation plan and an additional border security measure.

In a factsheet published in February 2024, the Conservative government said that their priority was to keep the UK safe and “strengthen the security of our border”. Part of the initiative is to make sure that everyone wishing to travel to the UK has permission to do so, and the electronic travel authorisation scheme aims to plug any gaps. A further factsheet from March 2025 confirms that the scheme “helps prevent the arrival of those who present a threat to the UK”.

In the EU, the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is due to start in October 2025. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is then due to start in the last quarter of 2026. It will soon be commonplace to have obtained authorisation to travel to a number of countries worldwide, not just the UK.